Encore
by Xenobia
Summary: Levi always knew there was a chance he would run into Eren again in this life, but he wasn't prepared to learn that Jaeger is a singer in a popular band, nor was he prepared to be assigned as his bodyguard. When his agency discovers that a research organization is trying to abduct Eren, Levi is sent on a mission to protect him. AU, Reincarnation, Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: All songs mentioned here are actually by a rock band called Young Guns. Full credit to all titles and lyrics goes to them. You should check them out if you like rock music! This fanfiction takes place after "Wish Fulfillment" and "Torn", which I will not be posting here on ffnet due to the amount of graphic content in them both. You may read this series of stories from the beginning at Archive of Our Own, though this story can stand on its own.  
_

 _*Disclaimer: This fanfiction is for entertainment, non-profit purposes only. I do not claim ownership of any canon characters or the world that this is set in._

* * *

He was late...again. He hated the public transit system. He hated the smell of the big city, and he hated the filth. Most of all, he hated the way the destitute and poor were ignored. They were everywhere, but they might as well have been invisible. He dropped some bills into an old beggar's hat discreetly as he passed him, knowing that this one was the real deal and not some charlatan trying to take advantage of people's sense of charity…well, those that gave practice, at least. He supposed he couldn't blame everyone for ignoring the unwashed. After all, some were just bullshitters making a living off panhandling, instead of bothering to find honest work. There were others, that were the real deal though, and he'd figured out how to spot the difference between a hard luck case and a lazy asshole.

He made it into headquarters through the drizzle of rain, his dark undercut hair glistening here and there with tiny droplets of moisture. He wasn't the most patient sort; he nearly ran over one of the cleaning staff as he made his way to the elevator to the fifth floor. He tugged off his long black coat and he hung it hastily on the rack in his office. He dodged past his secretary without a word as he traversed back out into the corridor and he made a beeline for his superior's office.

"You're late," Director Smith informed him un-necessarily as the agent entered his office. Ice blue eyes glanced up from a file laid out on the towering blond man's desk. "What is your excuse this time, Agent Ackerman?"

"My excuse is this city sucks and so do you," answered the other man with narrowed gray eyes. "Sir."

The director smirked. "If your results weren't so impressive, I might be inclined to take disciplinary measures against you. As it stands, I think I have a better solution. Come closer, Levi. I've sent a copy of the case file to your office, but you may as well go over it while you're here."

Levi dreaded it already. He knew this man from another life, and he knew very well how ruthless he could be—even if Erwin himself couldn't recall it. He hedged closer to the desk, keeping his expression a blank, bored mask even as he leaned over to look at the open file on the surface of it. He blinked slowly at the image of the young man on the top page.

No...it couldn't be...

Director Smith spoke calmly. "The subject is—"

"Eren Jaeger," interrupted Levi without a thought. His steely, heavy-lidded gaze was fixated on that photo. There could be no doubt. He was older than he'd been the last time he'd laid eyes on him. His hair was longer...down a little past his shoulders. His bangs were still shaggy as Levi remembered them to be, and that green gaze was still as bright as oak leaves with the sun shining through them.

"I'm impressed," remarked Erwin. He looked up at the smaller man, his thick blond brows furrowing the slightest bit. "You read quickly."

Levi just realized that he'd blurted Eren's name before even looking at the name in the case file. He shrugged. "I've heard of him before."

"Have you?" Erwin seemed covertly amused. "I didn't know his music was your style, agent."

Levi took a closer look at the file, somewhat confused. He didn't even own a television and he only read the local news. A part of him had been dreading finding Eren again, expecting him to be under-aged. Not that he had any intention of getting into a relationship with either him or Erwin in this life, but he honestly didn't know how he would handle meeting Eren again, if it ever happened. It seemed he was fated to do just that, though.

"I've seen his face in magazines and shit," he mumbled in a distracted tone, his eyes scanning over the details beneath that intriguing photo. "Age...twenty-four? Hmph. Lead singer of a rock band called..."

Levi found himself choking suddenly, and it was a damned good thing he hadn't made himself a cup of tea to sip on yet. No fucking way. It was too ironic. He turned away from his superior and he coughed.

 _"Remember the Titans"_

 _~You've got to be shitting me, brat. Did you really? Oh hell, it's getting even better...~_

Amongst the listed names of his band members were Jean Kirstein, Mikasa Ackerman and Connie Springer. Nearly all of the brat pack were in the same band with him. Even better; their manager was none other than Armin Arlert.

"Be right back," explained Levi as he dropped the file folder back on Erwin's desk, "I've got to take a shit."

"I haven't even explained the case—" Began Erwin, but Levi was already out the door with a slam. Director Smith stared down at the scattered pages of the file with a frown, and he gathered them all up and stacked them neatly back into the folder. "Just what in the hell's gotten into you, Ackerman?"

* * *

A short while later, Levi was back in his office going over the assignment. It seemed there was an agency involved in scientific experimentation after Eren Jaeger, and they'd already attempted to kidnap him twice. Fortunately, their attempts thus far had failed due to him being a slippery bastard and demonstrating skills one wouldn't expect of a musician. That made him smirk. It seemed Levi was the only one with past life recollection. He'd met two other people he knew from over three centuries ago, besides Erwin. One of them was Mike, and big surprise; he was Erwin's second in command. The other was Eld Jinn. Eld worked in the same department as they did. All three had expressed and odd sense of familiarity with Levi and with each other, but they didn't demonstrate any solid memories of their time together, so long ago.

"Ackerman blood," reasoned Levi softly, his gray eyes still scanning the pages of his assignment. His bloodline's uncanny ability to retain memories that were so easily wiped from others must have carried over into this life. "Tch...and it looks like history is repeating itself. I'm to be Jaeger's bodyguard. Heh. The more things change, the more they stay the same."

His door opened without a knock for entry, and Levi glanced up with irritation to find his boss standing there. Erwin closed the door behind him and he leaned against it, regarding Levi with piercing blue eyes.

"I have to ask, Ackerman: you aren't doing anything...recreational, are you?"

Levi gave him a dry look. "If you mean drugs, you couldn't be more wrong." He sipped his tea and he looked down at the files, recalling a time when Erwin and himself had been in an "arrangement". It wasn't the typical romantic relationship. They'd fucked for the pleasure of it, but they still retained their proper commander and captain relationship. It remained that way for some time...until Eren Jaeger came into their lives. He proved to be a pleasant diversion when Erwin wasn't around to satisfy his needs. Levi had even gotten attached to the titan-shifting bastard over time.

Eren had only been on the edge of sixteen at the time, and Levi had been thirty. Such a relationship these days would have surely land Levi in jail...but apparently in this life, Eren was almost of an age with him. At twenty-seven, Levi was only three years his senior. For some reason, that fact pleased him, though he really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts of rekindling what they'd once indulged in.

"You don't seem terribly upset over this assignment," observed Erwin shrewdly. "I'd have expected you to complain about being tasked to 'babysit some spoiled rock star', but you're oddly content with it. Is there something I should know?"

Levi shrugged. "I figured I had something like this coming, as late as I've been getting into the office this week. I'll keep the fucker alive."

 _~And why doesn't it surprise me that there's some scientific organization after him for his genetic code? Looks like the coordinate passed down to him even through reincarnation and someone found out about it. Shit, it's coming around full circle again.~_

Yes...the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. It really was amazing. "I should probably finally invest in some personal transportation," he mused. "If I'm going to keep up with this kid I need to be mobile."

"What of that gear you strap onto yourself when you go on tight missions?" Erwin questioned. "What do you call it? ODM gear?"

Levi shrugged. "Amongst other things. Maneuver gear, 3DM gear...call it what you will. The function doesn't change." He looked up at his boss thoughtfully. "It's never seemed familiar to you?"

"Oddly, yes." Erwin scratched the back of his head and a slight frown marred his lips. "I feel as though I must have seen something similar in a movie, but I never would have thought such a thing could actually be functional in real life. I've seen you use it though, and I'm very impressed. You created it yourself?"

Levi nodded. "Yes." He'd built his own based on memories of his past life he couldn't seem to banish. It was just one thing that made this modern life seem a little less out of place for him.

"You could sell that invention and retire comfortably wealthy," suggested Erwin with a smile. "I can imagine all sorts of corporations that would be interested in its uses—to say nothing of the military."

Levi shrugged. "It takes certain instincts and a lot of training to master. I don't think many people these days have the stones for it."

"'These days'?" repeated Erwin. He shook his head and he chuckled. "Sometimes I feel like you come from some future era."

Levi smirked. _~Exactly the opposite, Commander. Pity you remember none of it yourself.~_

* * *

Later that afternoon, Levi went to a dealership and he found himself staring at a sleek black motorcycle. What caught his interest the most were the blue, silver-lined wings stenciled into tank on either side. They were the exact color of the Wings of Freedom emblem, though the placement of the colors wasn't accurate. Regardless that it wasn't one blue wing and one white one, it still brought a feeling of familiar nostalgia with it, and Levi felt like this bike was meant to be his. The dealer was trying to guide him over to a fancier, more pricey one, but Levi rather liked the built in saddle compartments on the winged one. He ignored the man and he approached the bike thoughtfully, gray eyes roving over the sleek black finish.

"I once had a black stallion," he whispered to the vehicle. "I think if he were brought back as a motorcycle, you would be him."

It sounded stupid and crazy in his own mind, but he immediately gave the bike a name to match that of his faithful steed in another life: Pitch. He ran his hand over the handlebars, the tank and the seat, and he felt like he could almost sense something...a kinship, perhaps.

"I'd like to test ride this one," Levi informed, turning his attention to the dealer.

"You like her, do you?" The man grinned.

"Him," corrected Levi. "It's a him."

The dealer shrugged and chuckled. "Who am I to argue its gender? All right, friend. Come inside with me and I'll take down your license number and give you the keys. Understand though; the maximum time for a test drive is thirty minutes."

"Of course." Levi glanced at the bike again, and he knew that if it drove as nicely as it looked, he wouldn't need a half hour to decide.

* * *

He'd had some practice with motorcycles before. He'd once driven an agency one on missions, until it met an unfortunate end in an explosion that Levi barely managed to escape in time. He still wished he had a horse, but if he was going to drive something, a bike was probably the closest thing to an equine he could ask for. The initial, powerful rumble of the engine when he started it up sounded like a beast roaring a challenge, and Levi smirked as he slipped on his shades and drove out of the dealership lot. He went to a lower traffic area and he took a back street he knew to be a popular place for thrill seekers to drag race. He pulled the bike to a halt and he patted it on the side of the tank as if it were a horse's neck.

"Let's see what you've got."

He gunned the engine twice, and then he peeled rubber as he took off down the strip of road. Within seconds, he was hitting seventy miles per hour...then eighty...then he was up to a hundred. The bike was definitely fast. Now to test how maneuverable it was. Up ahead was the curb that most people of intelligence would know to slow drastically down before taking. Plenty of drivers had lost their lives in that curb. Levi slowed down to a reasonable speed—which some might still consider too fast—and he leaned into the curb until his knee was practically touching the asphalt. The motorcycle held steady and true, and he came out of the curb nearly smiling.

He gunned the engine again once the road straightened out, sped on for a moment, and then put on the brakes and spun the bike in a one-eighty so that he was facing back the way he'd come from. He stopped there for a moment and he looked down at the vehicle with a pleased nod.

"Must be fate. You'll be coming home with me today."

He noticed a car coming up behind him and he popped a wheelie before taking off, ignoring the warning honk from the other driver. Levi was far ahead of the car and out of sight within heartbeats.

* * *

He didn't bother getting off of the motorcycle when he returned to the lot. Levi had already looked over the documentation and he'd given the dealer all of the information he required to finalize a purchase. All that was left was for him to sign. He reached into one of his jacket's many hidden, inner pockets for the clip of folded money he'd brought for the occasion, preferring the use of currency over credits for his purchases—for obvious reasons. He haggled a bit over the price and he got a small percentage taken off before agreeing to pay.

"Just bring me what I need to sign," he ordered. "I'll do it right here. Then I can pay you, get my receipt and it's a done deal."

"Do you have insurance?" asked the dealer. "We have two companies we work with, if not. It would only take a few moments to go inside and fill out the paperwork."

"My company takes care of my insurance," Levi explained. Of course, the "company" he'd listed was a fake, handled by a separate department for legal verification. His name was an alias as well, as was the identification he'd used for the purchase.

"All right, then!" The dealer stuck out his hand to shake Levi's, and the agent glanced at it with a frown. It was dirty. He was wearing gloves though, so he shook it anyway.

* * *

The next day before his assignment was scheduled to arrive for his concert in the city, Levi got ready for his role and he tapped on his superior's door. When Erwin bade him entry and he stepped into the director's office, he felt a moment of smug satisfaction over the look on the handsome blond's face. Levi closed the door behind him and he leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest and lifting one leg to rest the sole of one studded, black boot against the surface of the door.

"So, do I look the part of a rocker or what?"

Erwin bore an openly stunned expression for a moment as his piercing blue gaze roved over him. "Dear God."

Levi glanced down at himself, his dark bangs briefly falling over his eyes in the process. "What? I'm supposed to be undercover, right?"

Erwin visibly swallowed, his eyes scanning Levi's small, tight frame. The agent was wearing a pair of black leather pants, knee-high black boots with studs, a matching studded belt, a black sleeveless shirt and a black leather jacket with a patch on one arm of it bearing Jaeger's band logo. Rather than his signature preferred cravat, he wore a black collar with silver spikes around his throat.

"No comment?" pressed Levi. A hint of a smirk adorned his lips. He remembered vividly the last time Erwin looked at him like that—only then, he'd been dressed up for a military social engagement that frankly ended in disaster. It made him ache to recall such a memory, though. It reminded him that their relationship started out hot and sputtered like a fire with no oxygen.

"You look..." Erwin cleared his throat and he quickly lowered his gaze back to the computer screen, undoubtedly pretending to check his file work. "You look the part. Tell me, Ackerman...are you trying to protect your charge or make him fall in love with you?"

"Tch." At once, Levi felt annoyance. He shouldn't be entertaining thoughts of flirting with this man again. Old bitterness from another time crept back, though. "Like you'd understand anything about love."

Erwin frowned slightly, and he glanced back up at him. "Now you sound like an acidic, scorned woman. Sometimes I wonder if I've wronged you in a past life, the way you speak to me."

Levi blinked slowly; carefully schooling his expression so as not to give away his inward reactions to how closely Erwin's observations hit the mark. "Just noticing you seem to be more in love with your work than you could ever be with another person, boss. My advice to you is not to lead anyone on with bullshit declarations of affection, when and if you ever service the basic human need for contact. You might let someone down."

Erwin stood up, still frowning. Levi tensed a little as the older man circled around his desk to approach him. Erwin gazed down at him seriously, and there was puzzlement in his eyes. "You can be so perplexing, Ackerman." He allowed his gaze to caress Levi intimately, even though his hands remained properly at his sides. "I really do feel sometimes like you know me better than I know myself...but I've grown used to it. Levi...you really _do_ wear that look well. It isn't suited to my personal tastes on average, but..."

Erwin leaned in as though he couldn't help himself, and Levi's breath caught slightly as the taller man whispered into his ear. "I think if circumstances were different, I could make an exception. If Eren Jaeger has even the slightest interest in the male sex, I think he's going to be in serious risk of developing a fast attraction to his new protector. I must confess that I would, in his shoes."

That damned spark lit back to life, and it only hurt and angered Levi more. He glared up at his superior—who really had no business leaning in so close as if he wanted to kiss him. "Maybe he will, but I doubt Jaeger would lack appreciation for what he might have the way _some_ individuals do."

That look of confusion was back on Erwin's face again. "Pardon? Again, I have to ask what in the world I've done this time. You seem to find new ways to be angry with me every day, Levi."

Levi gave a bitter huff. "Try 'old ways'. Doesn't matter. I'd best get going now so that I can plan my approach. Hopefully the brat won't resist my protection too much, once I get the chance to explain things to him."

Levi reached behind himself to turn the doorknob, and he sidestepped away from Erwin, getting the creeping feeling that the man was about to try and kiss him. Thanks but no thanks. He'd been down that road before and the recollection of how frustrating his love life had been with Smith was still as fresh as if it happened yesterday.

"I'll see it done and keep you updated, boss."

* * *

After Levi had gone, Erwin stood staring blankly at his office door and wondering what in the hell he'd done…not just in regards to Levi's mysterious resentment of him, but also in regards to his own reactions. He'd come so close to grabbing and kissing him. It was a terribly unprofessional way to respond to his subordinate, no matter how irresistible Ackerman appeared in that punk getup he was wearing. Erwin certainly had needs like other men—which he usually fulfilled on women—but he was generally a disciplined sort that would never even dream of taking advantage of one of his underlings.

Levi, though...shit, the man had a sensual appeal that got to him in ways that none other could. Seeing him like that shook him...made him want to slam him against the wall and do unspeakable things to him that would surely have cost him his job, had he let the temptation get to him.

But there was more to it than that. He couldn't dismiss that feeling inside, like he'd known him before he'd even met Levi. Then there were Ackerman's strange comments. As brilliant an agent as he was, Erwin had considered assigning him to seek counseling more than once. The things he said at times made no sense at all to him.

* * *

He stepped out of the limo first, and his band-mates and agent came out after him. Eren smiled at the cheering fans lining the back entrance to the stadium, and he waved at them. Coming up beside him, Jean rolled his eyes. He too wore his hair long, down to his shoulders.

"You're such a ham, Jaeger."

"Leave him alone," advised Mikasa with a warning nudge. Her dark hair was down to her hips, hanging all in one length. She gave Eren a warmer look than the threatening one she'd just given her boyfriend. "The crowds like him for a good reason. You have to admit he's been a good front man, Jean."

"Never said otherwise," argued the guitarist with a shrug. "I'm just not as keen on puffing up his ego as you are."

"Cut it out guys," advised Armin, walking with his eyes on his electronic tablet. "You go on in less than an hour. We don't have time for Jean and Eren to indulge in their rivalry."

"What rivalry?" Eren shrugged, smiling brightly. "I've got nothing to prove to Kirstein."

Connie snorted, twirling his drumsticks between his fingers deftly as he strode along the fenced-off path with them. "You two have given each other shit since day one and you both know it. Ooh hey...look at her!"

A random young woman with curly brown, pink-streaked hair flashed her tits at them as they passed by. Connie passed over to her despite Armin's reminder that they had no time for play. He smiled at her and he snapped a picture with his smart phone, and then he bowed.

"Hey, you know it's good luck to rub a tattooed scalp," he informed her. As she giggled and ran a palm over his close-shaved head and the symbol of wings inked into the back of his skull, he inquired her name and he handed her a backstage pass for later.

"All it takes is a pair of boobs," muttered Eren sidelong to Mikasa, smirking at their drummer.

Mikasa was giving Jean a warning look, and he hastily whistled and looked away. "You know yours are the only ones I care about, right?" he reminded her.

"Let it _stay_ that way."

"Time, people!" Armin tapped the watch on his wrist, shaking his feathered, shoulder-length blond hair back from his face. "The stage is being set up as we speak! You've got to get ready!"

"Relax, Armin," advised Eren, shrugging. "We always make it on—"

He was about to say "time", but then his gaze got caught up in the sight of a man pulling up on a motorcycle into the parking lot in the background, and he halted both speech and step as he stared. Small in build, the male figure parked his bike and dismounted. He was in a pair of black leather pants that hugged his ass just right, and on the sleeve of his matching leather jacket, there was promotional band patch.

The bike rider removed his shades then, and he scrubbed his gloved fingers through his undercut black hair. Eren's stare became even more helplessly glued to him. That face...those eyes. He felt like he was having some kind of cosmic recollection, like he'd seen this small-framed, riveting man before somewhere, but couldn't recall where or when. Across the distance, the motorcyclist's eyes met Eren's and held them for a breathless moment. Winter gray and heavy-lidded, those eyes were haunting to him. At the same time they speared him to the core, and he was mesmerized.

"Damn, Eren! Move your ass!"

The singer blurted a complaint when his guitarist bumped into him and gave him a little push. Eren scooted aside, but he couldn't take his eyes off the leather-wearing bike rider. The crowd pressed forward with screams of excitement and Eren lost sight of him. It broke the spell, but he wanted to shout at them all to move and stop blocking his view.

"Eren? What's gotten into you?" Mikasa spoke into his ear, her voice laced with concern. "You look like someone struck you over the head. Are you okay?"

Eren nodded absently, still trying to scan over the heads of the people that had blocked his view of that little piece of Heaven. He didn't usually go for guys with short or shaved hair but damn, that mystery biker was the hottest thing he'd ever laid eyes on. He wondered if he'd just dreamed him up. He did have a rather active imagination.

"I'm fine. Let's do this."

* * *

He'd only had time to purchase general admission tickets, so Levi was forced to find a place on the floor to stand and watch the concert. The opening band sucked, in his opinion. Their music was so distorted that he wished he could have gone deaf. As it was, he'd had the foresight to bring a pair of foam earplugs with him to muffle the noise. He couldn't afford to have his hearing compromised even temporarily by overly loud music. He needed all of his senses. He'd already looked over a schematic of the building, and he managed to sneak up onto the catwalk for a bit to inspect every nook and cranny of it. None of the people currently traversing said catwalk could possibly be enemy agents; they'd have sensed him at some point if it were otherwise.

Once "Remember the Titans" came on after the opening band finished, Levi stealthily made his way back down and he found a spot that might give him a decent vantage point. Unfortunately, he'd been unable to bring his ODM gear in with him. It was far too conspicuous to make it through security. He did have a slim gun on him designed to make it through security checks, as well as two boot knives hidden in his heavy, lace-up boots. It would have to do for now.

Levi stared up at the stage as Eren Jaeger came out to greet the audience and ask if they were having a good time. The crowd cheered vigorously in response, and Eren pumped a fist in the air and hollered back with enthusiasm.

"Let's get this party started, then!" shouted Eren.

Jean led the first song with an aggressive guitar rift, and Mikasa followed him up on the bass. Connie drilled out a rolling beat on his drums, and then Eren's voice cut through the air. Their first song was called "Bones", and Levi listened with interest. Eren actually had a good singing voice. He'd never known that. Maybe in his past the young man hadn't realized as much himself. Of course, as much as the bastard shouted Levi should have known he could belt out a decent tune if he tried. The band didn't sound half bad, even if their kind of music wasn't what Levi usually went for. He found himself nodding to the rhythm and enjoying it more than expected.

Eren was a charismatic singer, sensual and engaging as he swayed and sang into the microphone. His form-hugging black pants molded to his legs nicely, outlining his muscle tone and drawing the eyes to his rocking hips. It came as no surprise that most of the girls and some of the guys in the audience were staring up at him with rapt desire. The other band members drew plenty of attention too—particularly Mikasa. Her long, silken black tresses swayed with her motions as she shifted on her feet to the tune, her hips gently and smoothly gyrating as she played her instrument. Jean was nodding along as his fingers flew across the frets, and he smiled and winked at one of the girls in the forefront of the audience.

Levi snorted when Mikasa shot a warning glance over at Jean and he immediately stopped his flirtation. She was definitely not the kind of woman one should aspire to make jealous. Levi could almost feel sorry for Jean. The lighting on the stage rotated to start highlighting the audience as the song ended and the next tune began.

This one was called: "I want out", and Eren again surprised Levi when a stagehand rolled out a keyboard and Jaeger started playing it. He didn't know Eren could play the fucking piano. Then again, he hadn't known he could sing, either.

As the lights flashed over him, Levi squinted uncomfortably. He adjusted to it a moment later, and it was at that moment that Eren's bright green gaze met and locked with his. The singer faltered on the lyrics for a brief moment—barely noticeable to the untrained ear. Levi held his gaze, finding the same inappropriate sense of satisfaction as he had in the parking lot the first time their eyes locked.

 _~Some part of you still remembers me, you shit. Heh.~_

* * *

Eren shook himself out of it when Mikasa glanced at him with a tiny frown. That guy...Christ, who _was_ he? He recovered from the shock of finding those intense gray eyes on him once more, catching himself before his blunder could be of much notice. He kept staring at him as he resumed singing, and suddenly the lyrics of his song didn't seem to fit anymore.

 _"'Cause if this is love, baby, I want out,"_ didn't seem like the right thing to be singing at all right now. If he had someone like _that_ in his life, he sure as fuck wouldn't want out of it. Eren wondered if someone had hit him over the head without him realizing it. What was the matter with him, all the sudden? It wasn't like this was the first fan he'd ever felt an attraction for. He'd slept with a couple of others in the past that were nearly as cute as this pouting hottie, whom he couldn't take his eyes off of. It was just...he felt a sort of strangely familiar desperation as he gazed at him. There was a thrill going through his entire body. It was like he'd been stricken by lightning and his brain was fried from the intensity of it.

He finished up the song and he was almost thankful when the stage lights rotated again, taking the highlight off of that enigmatic face in the crowd and blinding Eren a little. Good. He couldn't keep up with the band if he remained hypnotized by one pair of bedroom eyes looking up at him. Fuck, what the hell _was_ that, anyway?

"Thank you," called Eren with a grin when Connie's drum roll ended the song and the crowd cheered encouragingly. "Are we having fun yet, guys?"

He looked around at his band members and he laughed when Jean belted out a quick rift with a nod, followed by Connie hooting and twirling his sticks. Mikasa only nodded, smirking a little bit. The stagehand came back out to roll the keyboard away again to give Eren more space to move. Eren looked out at the audience and he again caught sight of _that face_.

 _~Down boy. Shit, the last thing I need is to get a boner on stage. Just stop looking his way. It'll be fine.~_

He made a mental note to instruct the roadies to find that guy at intermission and give him a VIP backstage pass, however. Maybe he could get something nice out of this distraction before he and his band had to split for the next concert location. He concentrated on communicating with his audience, and he stuck to the plan for this show.

"Which song do you awesome people want to hear next?" Eren cupped a hand over his ear with a smile as the crowd began to shout suggestions to him. "What was that? I can't fucking hear you!"

Louder shouts filled the arena, and Eren picked out the title he heard the most. He glanced around at his band mates again. "Seems like _'All Our Kings Are Dead'_ is going to be next on the list. Is that all right by you guys?"

"Hell yeah," shouted Connie enthusiastically. He smacked his cymbals for inflection, and Jean let out a screech with his guitar.

"Then let's do it!" hollered Eren.

* * *

Levi kept a sharp eye out as the concert went on, watching for any sign of suspicious activity from anyone on the floor and especially up on the catwalk. When it was time for intermission, he found himself approached buy one of the muscular guys on the roadie team and he regarded him warily as he pushed through the crowd toward him.

 _~Reiner Braun? This is getting ridiculous. If these people are after Eren, why isn't Braun on the list of people I've got to babysit?~_

But he knew the answer to that already. Though Reiner was once a shifter like Eren, he didn't possess the coordinate ability. That was probably what set apart Jaeger from anyone else. It _had_ to be. Levi narrowed his eyes at the built blond man, his hand instinctively and covertly slipping into his jacket for the concealed firearm he carried within the inner pocket.

"What do you want?" demanded Levi once Braun reached him. His mistrust of the young man had carried over from his previous existence, naturally.

Reiner handed over a laminated tag hanging on a black noose. "The frontman asked me to find you and give this to you, sir."

Levi's brows furrowed as he took the offering, and he examined the tag. It had the band's logo on it, just above the words 'VIP backstage pass".

"You can come backstage anytime you like," Reiner informed him...and Levi couldn't help but notice the jealous stares he was getting from other concert-goers around him.

"Hmph. Thanks."

Levi slipped it on over his head to dangle around his neck. If nothing else, this would make his job a bit easier. He could get in close to Eren without a hassle and work out his plan to get the kid to the designated safe house more easily, with a free pass like this. His only real concern about that was Mikasa. If _he_ could recall his past life, then chances were that she could as well. She'd likely recognize him immediately, and he had a sneaking suspicion that even if she'd never shared her knowledge with her friends, she'd designated herself Eren's protector the moment she reunited with him. That was the one hitch in Levi's plan that he faintly dreaded—trying to get Eren away from _her_ without a fight.

"Want to go backstage now?" asked Reiner, interrupting Levi's thoughts. "Intermission's going to be around a half an hour. I'm sure the band would be cool with you hanging out with 'em, since Eren Jaeger personally sent me looking for you."

Levi resisted a smirk. "Did he, now? All right; let's go and meet the band, then."

He cast another covert look around for any signs of a threat as he began to follow Reiner through the crowd to the back stage door. His eyes narrowed again when he spotted someone he hadn't seen amongst the crew before, walking along the catwalk. The man had a serious expression on his face and he was taking a great interest in the stage layout. Levi made a mental note of that and he committed the individual's face to memory, reminding himself to keep an eye on him.

* * *

Eren nearly choked on his cider when one of his roadies escorted his hot mystery fan into the backstage dressing room. He froze with the bottle to his lips as he stared up at the small, leather-clad guy that came in. He was even shorter than he'd thought, but as his VIP guest removed his jacket to make himself more comfortable, Eren saw how toned his arms were. Though he was rather petite in size, the guy was built like a brick shit house. Eren's gaze swept over him and he could tell he had amazing abs just by the way his sleeveless shirt clung to his body. The guy's hips rolled smoothly as he shifted from one foot to the other, appearing almost bored as he examined his surroundings.

 _~God, he's sexy. Okay, I need to play it cool and stop undressing him with my eyes.~_

Eren smiled. "Hey there. Welcome backstage! Are you enjoying the concert so far?"

That hooded, enigmatic gaze met Eren's, and the singer felt his heart skip a beat. The fan gave a brief nod. "Better than some."

His voice struck a cord within Eren. It was low, sensual and calm. He felt a shiver go through him and for some fucked-up reason, he suddenly pictured this man wearing a white scarf over his hair and mouth. He had no idea where that mental image came from, but it was a damned cute one.

Eren noticed Mikasa staring at their guest intensely, and he glanced at her, wondering what her problem was. Before he could say anything to her, the object of his fancy spoke in an even voice.

"Hello, Mikasa."

She nodded at him, and then she did something that confused the shit out of both Eren and Jean—who had one arm around her shoulders. She got off of the couch she was sitting on, stood up straight and she gave the newcomer a sharp salute, with one fist behind her back at the small of it, and the other planted over her heart, facing up. There was something shockingly familiar about it, and Eren stared as his bassist lowered her gaze respectfully before meeting his gaze again.

"Hello, sir."

"Uh...okay, that was weird," Connie remarked, scratching his shaved head. He looked at their visitor. "So you like our bassist, huh?"

The man shrugged lightly, his eyes locked with Mikasa's. "She's got better skills than most."

Eren felt uncomfortable as the two of them kept staring at each other. Shit, had he totally misread this guy? Was he straight? Jean was starting to frown at the man with jealousy as his girlfriend remained in some kind of silent communication with him.

"So how long have you been listening to us, buddy?" prompted Jean.

The visitor finally broke Mikasa's gaze to regard the guitarist. "Not long."

"Why don't you have a seat?" Eren suggested, patting the spot beside him. "What's your name?"

"Levi," answered the guest, and he took Eren's invitation.

As soon as he sat down with the grace of a cat beside him, Eren detected an enchanting scent that made him feel a strange warmth and a tingle, all at once. Damn, he smelled good. Eren couldn't really place it. It was almost like the scent of fresh linen, but with some subtle herbal notes. He leaned a little closer to him and he had a quick sniff.

"Coming down with a cold?" Levi remarked with a slight smirk.

"No, just smelling your aftershave...or cologne. Smells nice." Eren smiled at him, recovering from his daze. "What is that you're wearing, anyhow? It's nice."

"Nothing," answered Levi. "I don't use aftershave or cologne."

"Really?" Eren blinked. How the fuck could someone smell that good on their own?

"Really. So Eren...seems like your security's fairly tight. Have you had any recent troubles with...overzealous fans?"

"Shit, he gets trouble like that all the time," answered Connie before Eren could respond. "Hell, just at our last concert some goons tried to nab him!"

"You don't say," muttered Levi. He looked at Eren, and the singer felt a blush rising in his cheeks. "Seems you're a hot commodity, Jaeger."

Eren took another swallow of his cider, trying to ignore how that gaze seemed to skewer him to his very soul. "I guess so. Some people are just batshit, though. They don't have their heads on straight and if you asked them, they'd probably say their behavior was totally normal."

"I can't argue with that," agreed Levi. He relaxed against the back of the couch he was sharing with Eren, never taking his eyes off of him. "So what happened to these guys that tried to grab you before?"

"Oh, they got arrested." Eren shrugged. "It really wasn't that big of a deal. I didn't press charges."

"Why the hell not?" Levi's already pouty lips drew into a frown.

"Because they were obviously mental," answered the singer, "and what good would it have done? Attempted kidnapping isn't considered a high crime in most places, and I don't have the time on my schedule to go to court over and over again. It would have cost me more than it was worth, to try and press the issue."

"Tch, I suppose that's true enough."

Eren smiled at the annoyed little sound his guest had made. There was something familiar and strangely comforting about it. "Would you like a drink? Oh, and do you smoke?" Eren reached for his pack of cigarettes, sitting on the nearby coffee table.

"If you've got some tea, sure. No on the smoking, though."

Eren paused with his cigarette between his lips, suddenly feeling guilty for his habit. "Oh." Connie had already lit up, but he didn't feel right about smoking around a non-smoker. He put the cigarette back in the case. "I think we might have some sweet tea in the fridge. Would that be all right?"

"Better than nothing." Levi shrugged. Eren got up and he went to the small refrigerator to search through the selection of canned and bottled drinks they had available. He sighed in relief when he found a bottle of the sweet green tea that Mikasa usually ordered on their tours. He couldn't say just why, but pleasing this man was important to him. He grabbed the drink and he unscrewed the lid for him before returning to the couch to offer it to him. "Here you go."

Levi nodded and his fingers brushed against Eren's as he accepted the beverage. "This is fine. Thank you."

"So what was that funky salute about earlier, Mikasa?" Jean asked once Levi began to sip on the tea. "Feels like I've seen it somewhere before, but I can't place it."

She met Levi's gaze across the room, and Levi spoke before her parted lips could issue a response. "It's a biker thing. Just a sign of respect."

Eren's brows furrowed as he looked at Mikasa. "But...you aren't a biker!"

"I used to date one," answered the young woman quickly. She gave a light shrug. "I learned it from him. I noticed our friend here drove up on a bike when we spotted him outside before the concert."

"Oh, I see." But Eren really _didn't_ see. She'd referred to Levi as "sir" when she initially greeted him, and he couldn't quite get why she would do that. She sometimes referred to seniors as "sir" or "ma'am", but Levi seemed to be around their age.

"So what made you ask about our security?" Connie asked of their visitor. "Seems like a weird question to ask when meeting a band."

"I work in security," answered Levi readily, taking a sip of his tea. "I was just curious."

"Ah, of course." Connie nodded, looking the other man over thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it, I'd have almost pegged you as military. Must be the haircut...plus the way you carry yourself."

Levi smirked. "Do tell."

Armin Arlert opened the door and stepped in. "Okay guys, you've got about five minutes before you need to get ready to go back onstage. Oh! Hello."

He looked at Levi with the same expression of puzzlement on his features that the others save for Mikasa had given him. "You seem familiar to me. Have we met before?"

"I guess I just have one of those faces," answered Levi.

Eren looked at him and he thought that couldn't be further from the truth. He'd never seen _anyone_ with a face quite like Levi's. Still, he couldn't deny there was something familiar about him, and evidently he wasn't the only one to sense that. Again he wondered just who this guy really was, and why he seemed to draw him like a moth to a flame. Something was off, but Eren couldn't for the life of him put his finger on what it was.

"I suppose I should excuse myself," Levi said levelly. He stood up and he nodded at them all. "Thanks for the tea and introductions. I suppose you could say I'm one of your biggest fans."

He smirked as he looked directly at Eren, as if he found his own statement faintly amusing. Eren stood up, masking his disappointment that Levi was going. He smiled at him and he offered his hand to shake. "Hey, great meeting you, Levi. You're welcome to come to the after party with us when the show is over with. In fact, I'd really like it if you would."

"Afterparty, eh?" Levi took Eren's hand and he squeezed it firmly as he shook it. He appeared perfectly bored, but there was a glint in his eyes as they met the singer's. "Maybe I will. It's not every day that I get to hang out with celebrities, after all. See you on the stage, Eren."

* * *

He couldn't take his mind off of Levi. Every song he sang started to take on a new meaning for Eren, and he began to associate each lyric with the attractive biker. God, he was such a loser. Sure, people thought he was cool because of his hair and his clothes and his being the front man of a rock band, but the truth was he was a closet geek. When it came down to him really, really liking someone, he tended to get bashful and stupid. In fact, he nearly blushed just from holding Levi's hand to shake it earlier. He started scanning the crowd in an attempt to locate that face again, wondering where the object of his attraction might have situated himself for the rest of the show. He couldn't spot him, and he wondered with a sinking feeling if Levi split early. Maybe they weren't performing well enough for him. The man seemed very focused and professional...like a person that wouldn't accept less than perfection.

 _~Damn, I suck. I've never felt so self-conscious before...never felt so eager to please.~_

Eren could readily picture himself as a panting puppy, desperate for the attention of its master. He nearly snorted midway through one of their songs as he thought on this. How ridiculous. One good-looking guy he'd just met shouldn't have this effect on him. He was Eren Jaeger. He was a sex symbol...a public idol. He wasn't some pimple-faced teenager trying to ask someone out on a first date.

...Yet that man Levi made him feel that way, somehow. It was confusing as hell.

As Eren pressed on through the set, he was totally unaware of the struggle that was going on right over his head, between the very man his mind was on and another man with ill intentions against him.

* * *

"Who the hell sent you?" Levi demanded as he pressed his elbow firmly against the windpipe of the suspect he'd just defeated. Beneath the catwalk they were on, the band continued to play their music, oblivious to the peril that nearly befell their lead singer. Levi had goten up on the catwalk and found his opponent just in time to stop him from firing a pistol upon Jaeger. He doubted it had lead in it, if this man worked for the people trying to abduct Eren. He had no time to confirm his suspicion, though. He'd kicked the firearm out of the taller man's hand and it had spun away on the gridded surface of the catwalk before Levi engaged in melee with him. He damned near drew his gun on his heavier built opponent, knowing that the music would drown out the noise of the shot if he had to fire on him. He couldn't get answers from a corpse, however.

It occurred to him that he wasn't likely to get answers from him right now either, considering he was cutting off the redhead's air supply with his elbow. Levi eased up a bit and he glared into the man's dazed eyes, repeating his question loudly in his face.

"Who exactly sent you? Tell me who they are and where they can be found, and I'll ensure leniency on you."

"You'll...never find them," gasped the stranger. "I couldn't...tell you if I wanted to! I don't even know that information."

"Bullshit," countered Levi. "Don't fuck with me. I'm running on a short fuse right now and I've got no problem with spilling your blood. You're worth less than dirt to me if you don't give me some information, understand?"

"Can't tell you...what I don't know!" The man kicked in futility as Levi's elbow drove harder into his windpipe again, cutting off his air supply once more.

Levi was about to reach for one of his knives to "persuade" his captive further, but then he felt the vibrations of running footsteps on the catwalk. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed to him that one of the security guards had spotted the two of them, and he was running over with one hand on the gun holstered at his hip.

"Damn it," groused Levi.

He jumped up and he kicked his opponent in the temple to knock him out, thereby rendering him harmless for a while. Another security guard was heading his way from the other side of the catwalk, cutting off that avenue of escape. Levi had no choice but to leap off of the catwalk and onto the overhead stage lighting, swinging and flipping through the air right over the heads of Eren and his band. He drew his knife as he fell toward the backdrop canvas with the band's ironically familiar symbol on it, and he stabbed into the material. Riding it down directly between the Wings of Freedom emblem like some kind of pirate in a movie, Levi's knife slowed his descent and allowed him to land harmlessly on the stage behind the band.

Eren turned at the same moment to regard Jean, who was just about to burst into his guitar solo. The singer's line leading into the solo got rudely interrupted as he saw Levi come tearing down, slicing the backdrop in two in the process.

 _"It's just not the same any—h-holy shit!"_

If he weren't in the middle of making his egress, Levi might have been tempted to laugh outright. Eren literally sang the expletive. As it stood, Levi didn't have time to appreciate it. He had security after him now, and he couldn't afford to get detained and have his mission threatened. He dove through the now ruined, torn backdrop and he jumped off the back of the stage, beating feet for the rear fire exit. Unfortunately, pushing the door open triggered the fire alarms. The automated sprinkler system within the arena responded to the alarms going off, and the live debut of Remember the Titans in the city of Trost ended with the show getting "rained out".

* * *

-To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: Thank you for the review(s) thus far!  
_

* * *

"I _knew_ there was something screwy about that guy," complained Jean as he scrubbed his damp head with the towel backstage. "He seemed cagey from the get-go!"

Mikasa mutely dried her hair off as well, sparing her lover a glance but otherwise offering none of her own thoughts aloud.

Connie's head was already dry, seeing as he had no hair growth to worry about. He wore the towel given to him around his shoulders as he sat down with a sigh on the recently towel-covered couch. "Yeah, there was definitely something weird about him." He smirked at Eren. "Then again, maybe he was just trying to get a closer look at the show. Eren seemed to hit it off with him."

Jean snorted, glancing at their troubled lead man as Eren's head emerged from under the towel he was using. "The guy was pummeling one of the stagehands on the catwalk, man. They found a gun with some kind of tranquilizer in it up there, too! Think about it...all those questions he was asking about security and whether Eren ever had trouble in the past with violent fans. Then he came down riding a fucking knife and he crashed our party. I'm telling you, he was testing the waters to do something shitty, and I'm betting he intended it for Eren."

Mikasa glanced at Jean again. "Or maybe he was trying to stop someone else from doing something. Nobody on our crew could identify the man that Levi was found attacking, Jean."

"That's right," agreed Eren with a thankful look at Mikasa. Thank God for her cool logic. He didn't want to believe the man he'd invited backstage himself had bad intentions towards him. "He was running from the guards when he came down on the stage like that."

"No shit," groused Jean. He tossed his towel aside and he crossed his arms over his chest, gazing at Eren with challenging hazel eyes. "Why the hell would he have been running from him if he didn't do anything wrong, hot shot?"

Eren faltered, and he wracked his brain for a reason behind it all. "Er...maybe he just knew how it must have looked from their point of view and he didn't want to end up jailed for something he didn't even do. Ever think of that, asshole?"

"Guys, don't fight," Armin cut in before Jean could reply. He came into the room just in time to hear the end of the conversation. "It's not in our hands anyway. Let the police deal with it. Whether the man is guilty of trying something nefarious or responsible for putting a stop to it, the important thing is that _someone_ obviously intended harm to one or all of you. Eren, there's already been a previous abduction attempt against you, and the fact that the dart in that gun they found was identified as a tranquilizer makes me suspect that was going to be the goal in this case, as well."

"But why would someone be trying to kidnap Eren?" demanded Connie with a confused shrug, spreading his hands. "Ransom? To make him their personal bitch?"

"People attempt all sorts of things against celebrities," reminded Armin. "It's nothing new. Remember that actress that got stabbed last month by a fan? He gave his reason as jealousy over the news that she was engaged. He actually thought he had some claim to her and it drove him into a rage when she made wedding plans with someone else."

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Jean said. "Hmph. So you're saying someone wants to commit a crime of passion over our boy, here?"

"But wait," interrupted Connie when Armin parted his lips to respond, "the guy they found with Levi on the catwalk wasn't with those guys that tried to get Eren the last time. How many crazy fans could he really _have_ out there intent on kidnapping him? Dude, that's ridiculous!"

"Or these attempts are being made by people working for someone else," reasoned Mikasa ominously. Her deep, quiet gaze met Eren's. "Someone is after you, Eren. Like you, I don't believe it's that man Levi. You need to be more careful from now on, regardless."

Eren scratched the back of his damp head and he frowned. "I just wish I knew what the hell this was all about. The only explanation that makes sense to me is ransom, like Connie suggested."

"That could very well be it," said Armin with a nod. He rubbed his chin in thought. "This band is growing more popular by the day, and it makes sense to me that anyone considering taking one of you hostage would naturally go for the front man first. We haven't stepped up security to reflect your popularity, either. Eren, I think maybe it's time we consider hiring a bodyguard for you."

"A bodyguard?" Eren blinked. "Armin, I'm not _that_ helpless! I know how to fight."

"And how will you do that if you get shot in the ass with a tranq?" demanded Jean. "You can't fight if you're unconscious and if Mikasa's right about someone in the background sending people after you, they've probably got the resources to keep sending them until they get what they want."

"But that doesn't make sense," argued Eren. "If they've got the money to keep sending goons after me, why the fuck would they need to ransom me?"

"You raise a good point." Armin frowned, lowering his gaze. "I suppose the reason behind it all isn't what we should be concerned with. What we _do_ need to focus on is ensuring they don't succeed. I'm going to start making calls to agencies about assigning you that bodyguard. Don't look at me that way, Eren. I know you value what privacy you have, but this could be your _life_ we're talking about. I don't care how hard you can hit; Jean is right. Fists can't stop a bullet and you can't fight back if you're unconscious or restrained. Remember how close those last guys got to getting you in that van?"

Eren shivered at the reminder. "Yeah. It was close. If it weren't for those officers spotting us, I guess I might have been a goner."

"Exactly, so let's not take that chance. The crew is nearly finished loading up the instruments and equipment, so you should all get ready to board the tour bus, soon. Hopefully I can have that bodyguard waiting for Eren at our next destination."

Eren blew a sigh. "Man, this sucks. I really don't want some stranger on my ass twenty-four-seven. Hey, what about Mikasa? She's a badass and at least she's my friend."

"Oh _hell_ no," blurted Jean before his girlfriend could respond to the suggestion. "I'm not having my girl's attention hogged by you every minute of the day, Eren. You'll just have to suck it up and take whoever Armin gets for you."

Mikasa shrugged and she smirked a little when Eren gave her a faintly pleading look. "You know I would dispatch anyone I saw threatening you, Eren, but that isn't enough. I really think a professional bodyguard is the best choice for you...at least until the authorities can investigate and confirm whether these instances were related or not. If someone out there really is determined to get their hands on you for whatever reason, I'd feel better knowing you have protection at all times."

He sighed again. Great. Sometimes he wished he'd never joined this band, or that they'd remained local and never gained such popularity. His career choice was turning his life upside-down. He was seriously considering ways to just disappear from the public eye...maybe even fake his own death.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when the tour bus was ready for them. Eren lagged behind while his band and their manager left to get on the vehicle. He told them he'd be right behind them; he only wanted to be sure he wasn't leaving anything behind. That wasn't the truth, though. In all honesty, he just wanted a few moments alone while such a thing was still possible. His mind went to Levi again as he looked around at the backstage room and his eyes fell on the spot on the couch where the handsome, mysterious man had sat. He'd really been hoping for an after party, and for Levi to show up as he'd been invited to. He'd even entertained the vague hope that he might get to fool around with the man—maybe even have sex with him. He wasn't really in the market for a relationship, but he was so attracted to Levi that he thought he might make an exception for him if he had the opportunity.

None of that was going to happen now, though. Eren didn't believe for a second that Levi had tried to harm him, but he was awfully confused about his involvement in the incident. Did Levi just happen to stumble upon the real culprit and act? Eren thought about the man's stoic expressions and sleepy gaze. Levi practically dripped calmness, but there was something in his eyes that told Eren he wasn't a person to be fucked with. He'd said he worked in the security industry, so it stood to reason that he had some special training to deal with dangerous individuals.

Yes, that had to be it. Levi must have seen that other guy doing something suspicious and he stopped him. It was the only explanation Eren could accept, though he was still at a loss as to why he trusted a complete stranger so damned much. With a final, heavy sigh, he combed his fingers through his mussed hair and he left the backstage room. At least they'd only had two more songs left to play before the fire alarms went off and everyone was forced to leave the arena.

As he walked outside to join his band in the tour bus out back, Eren didn't have to worry about crowds of fans shouting at him. Armin made sure that the police made everyone leave before the band exited the building. He wasn't taking any chances. Eren's feet dragged as he walked through the rear, restricted parking lot towards the big fancy tour bus awaiting him. Cloud cover, further adding to his gloom, shrouded the moon.

He didn't get it. Why was he so hung up on that guy? Why did his heart feel so heavy over the thought of never seeing Levi again? They'd spent all of twenty minutes together! He hadn't even gotten the chance to kiss him and find out if the spark he felt for him was real or just a freak moment of the imagination, and—

Eren heard footsteps coming up rapidly behind him—from more than one pair of feet. He turned and his eyes widened when he saw two unfamiliar men dressed all in black running toward him. One of them was reaching for a gun. They sure as shit didn't look like police officers or security guards.

Eren's adrenaline spiked and his pulse quickened anxiously, and he shot a look over his shoulder at the bus in the distance. He might make it if he ran fast enough, and at least if he started shouting he could get the attention of his band and crew before these black-clad strangers took him down. They clearly didn't have friendly intentions.

"Shit," he cursed, and then he went with his first—and probably stupid—instinct. Rather than flee as he should have, he yelled and he ran directly _toward_ the two strangers. They were so surprised by this that they actually halted their advance, and Eren crashed into one of them, tackling him to the ground. He punched him hard in the face twice, and then he rolled away and he heard a bang go off. Something skipped off the cement and it occurred to him that the other man had shot his gun at him. He then saw three more men in black coming at him from the right.

 _~This is bad. If that guy Levi beat up on the catwalk was with these guys, that means there were six of them in total at the concert, waiting for their chance. I should have left with the others!~_

He heard Mikasa shout his name and he looked to see her running from the tour bus, evidently having heard the ruckus. Jean was behind her, and a couple of the roadies joined them. Unfortunately, they were further away from Eren than his assailants and the guy he'd tackled was now aiming his gun at him from his position on his back. His friends and crew couldn't help him. These assholes were going to overwhelm him and either kill him or take him before anyone could reach him to help.

Eren had no intention of going down without a fight. For one bizarre moment, he had an overpowering urge to bite his own hand. It wasn't the first time he'd experienced it, either. Quite a few times in his life when he felt threatened or angry, he'd experienced that same crazy urge, and he'd never understood why. Maybe some part of him thought if he bit himself, then anyone trying to do him harm might decide he was too loony to bother with.

As he prepared to try and kick the man aiming at him to prevent him from shooting him, Eren heard a strange but eerily familiar hissing sound from somewhere up above. He looked up in time to see Levi, and he had another crazy brain moment.

 _~Is he...flying?~_

That was all he had time to think before the smaller man swooped down, grabbed him around the waist and hoisted him off with him.

"Oooh shiiiiit!" Eren screamed with what little breath he had left in his lungs. He was speeding through the air toward the arena building. He heard something fire alarmingly close, and he realized the sound came from the trigger mechanisms in Levi's hands. They somewhat resembled bike breaks to Eren's feverish mind. It was then that he noticed that he and Levi weren't actually _flying_ so much as being pulled through the air on a pair of wires like a couple of marionettes.

"W-what's happening?" cried Eren as he and Levi were jerked away in a different direction, gaining altitude as they went. Now they seemed to be heading for a giant billboard across the street from the arena.

"Calm down," ordered Levi in a sedate tone. "You're all right."

"The fuck I am!" disagreed Eren, his alarm not fading in the slightest. "We're gonna crash into that sign!"

"No we aren't." Levi came in for a landing on the walkway lining the bottom of the sign, touching down lightly and keeping his arm around the taller man's waist to support his shaken balance. He pressed a button on the mechanisms he held in his hands, and the wires came free from the billboard he'd somehow attached to them, snaking back into the gear attached to his hips by a system of harness straps. He looked up at Eren, his eyes roving over him searchingly.

"You don't seem injured. Good. Stay here while I take care of those shitheads, Eren...and lay low just in case any of them get far enough past me to take another shot at you."

"I...I...I..."

"Was any of what I just said unclear?" demanded Levi, his lips thinning with irritation. He shoved Eren away and when the singer fell on his back with a cry, Levi planted his boot on his chest and stared down at him sternly. "Do as I said, lay low and wait for me. That is an order."

"Yes sir."

Eren spoke without even thinking of it, driven by a sense of loyalty and respect for this man that he couldn't explain. He rolled over onto his stomach and he watched with wide eyes as Levi fired off his strange mechanism and shot away through the air. He drew what looked like a pair of thick swords from the oversized-looking holster things on his hips, and Eren's jaw dropped as the man descended toward the nearest opponent, spinning his body effortlessly in a corkscrew motion. His blades flashed under the streetlights, practically a blur of metal in their deadly momentum. There was a scream from Levi's target and both of the man's forearms flew off in different directions, severed to the elbow by Levi's strike.

Levi didn't pause. He moved on to the next enemy and he landed before him on the pavement. He dropped abruptly and delivered a sweeping kick that took the man off his feet, and then he kicked him in the head, knocking him out. He sheathed his swords, drew a pistol and fired it at another one before he could get a shot from his own gun off at Levi. The goon shouted in pain, and he clutched his arm, dropping his gun and falling to his knees.

Levi fired those grappling wires on his gear again when the fourth opponent took aim and fired at him, and Eren called his name in alarm, thinking he was about to get shot. Levi was off the ground and out of harm's way before the dart struck, and it landed harmlessly on the cement. He did a somersault, changed his direction and came in feet-first at the man that had tried to shoot him. Eren grimaced in sympathy when both of Levi's boots slammed straight into the guy's jaw. Even from his distance he could hear that sickening crack, and he was pretty sure Levi had broken the man's jaw.

Mikasa reached the fifth culprit before Levi, and she knocked him down and out with a roundhouse kick. For a moment, she and Levi stared at each other, and then they exchanged a nod. She said something to Levi that Eren couldn't make out, and then Levi took off again, heading back to the billboard where the singer still lay on his stomach. He landed gracefully beside him, and he offered a hand down to Eren.

"Let's go, Jaeger. Time to fly."

"Fly where?" Eren was too stupified to offer any argument. He was utterly bewildered by what had just happened and he was having that maddening feeling of almost recollection again. It was like he was on the verge of recalling a dream, but it just wouldn't come to him.

"I've got transportation," explained Levi as Eren accepted his hand and let him help him to his feet. "It's not safe to go with your band right now. I'm taking you where your enemies won't be able to locate you so easily. Ditch your phone."

"My phone? But why? Please, just tell me what's going on! Who _are_ you?"

"The phone needs to go because they can use it to track you. I'll get you a secure one to use later."

Eren hesitantly retrieved his smart phone from the pocket of his leather jacket, and he frowned at Levi as he dropped it. "Who are you, Levi?"

The shorter man smirked slightly. "I'm your goddamned protector, Eren. Special Agent Levi Ackerman. That's enough for you to know, for now."

"Special agent?" Eren was even more confused than before, but it did explain the skills he'd just witnessed from the man. He was suddenly suspicious. Did Levi just happen to be at the right place at the right time, or what it deliberately planned? "Who's after me and why? Do you know?"

"You're asking too many questions and you're wasting time," stated Levi coolly. "Now wave goodbye to your friends and let's get moving. I want you going dark before the agency that sent those goons figures out what happened and sends more people to investigate. Law enforcement is bound to be here soon as well, and we can't easily explain the situation with any plausibility."

"But—" Eren looked over at the tour bus and his friends, who were staring up at him and Levi on the billboard.

"Mikasa knows I'm taking you somewhere safe. She'll inform the others." Levi put an arm around the taller man's waist and before Eren could issue further objections, he activated his gear. Eren again experienced the sensation of flying, and he could almost enjoy it if it weren't for the fear twisting his gut.

So, it was an organization that wanted him...but why? He'd never hacked any secret files, never been involved in military affairs. His instincts told him to trust Levi though, and so he went along with him, if only because he felt in his bones that he really would be in danger if he remained behind.

* * *

"God, who are you?"

Eren had asked the question more than once since meeting Agent Ackerman, but the man just wouldn't give it up. He still couldn't shake this feeling of familiarity he had with him...nor could he control the blinding attraction he had for him. Ever since he'd first seen Levi dismount his motorcycle in those leather pants and remove his helmet, Eren hadn't been able to take his mind off of him. Now they were in this "safe house" Levi had taken him to just outside the borders of the city, and Eren slipped on some unidentified smear on the floor as soon as he stepped through the door. Levi caught him around the waist to steady him and Eren found himself pressed up tightly against him, with Levi's back against the wall.

The smaller man's hooded gray eyes kept their secrets and his expression was blank, but his lips parted and his breath quickened as well with the abrupt contact.

"I told you," murmured Levi, "I'm your goddamned protector. Watch your footing. I didn't have the chance to get in here and clean up before we arrived."

Eren didn't care about the state of the run down little house. He couldn't stop looking at his companion's sculpted features. The agent's parted lips looked so soft and inviting. Eren's pants started to feel too tight in the crotch, and he didn't release his embrace on Levi.

"That thing you did," he whispered, "with the wires and the gas canisters. You practically _flew_. I've never seen anything like it before, but it's so...familiar. Levi...what is this shit you're wearing? How do you operate it like that? Why are these guys after me in the first place? Did I piss someone off with my songs or something?"

Levi heaved a sigh, his chest pushing against Eren's as he slid his hands around from the taller man's waist and pressed them against his chest. "You ask too many questions, Jaeger. I just spent the evening keeping your ass from getting kidnapped and getting you here to safety. Give me a rest for a minute, would you?"

Eren sighed, and he released the smaller man and watched as Levi locked and chained the door they'd just come in. The agent removed that gear that enabled him to do things like some superhero and he set it down near the door. He walked into the meager living room, looked at the worn couch and he frowned. Levi clicked on the overhead lamp near the couch and he began to inspect the piece of furniture sharply, even lifting up the cushions and checking under them.

"What's the matter?" Eren pressed. He reached for his pack of cigarettes, feeling a powerful need for a smoke to calm his nerves. "Are you afraid there's some kind of bug?"

"Yes, actually...though I assume you meant for spying purposes and not of the insect kind. This place is filthy, Eren. I don't want fleas or bedbugs to contend with on top of everything else."

"Oh. Yeah, I can see how that would be something to check for."

Levi finished his investigation and, seemingly satisfied that the couch was pest-free, he took a seat on it and he rested his arms on the back of it. He crossed his legs and he looked up at Eren. "Well, come have a seat and wind down. I know you've been through a scare tonight. Don't light that thing up and smoke it near me, though. In fact, don't smoke it in here at all. If you need to indulge in that habit, you will do it outside—but not within view of the road. Is that understood?"

Eren lowered his eyes, unable to hold that intense gaze for long. "Yes sir. I guess it can wait. Uh, I didn't get the chance to bring anything with me, except the brush I've got in my jacket and my smokes." He sat down beside the other man on the couch, and despite his abysmal situation, he couldn't help but admire him. Damn, he was cute. He just had such a unique look about him, and that nagging sense of familiarity kept coming back every time he took a moment to stare at him.

"Don't worry about all that," answered Levi. "I dropped off some things here. Basic hygiene and first aid supplies, some canned goods and a few changes of clothing. We'll be set for a few days until we need to get moving again. Hmph...maybe I should have bought a car instead of a bike. We aren't going to be able to fit much into the saddlebags with my gear, so you'll have to rely on a backpack for most of your things while we're traveling."

"Just how long am I going to be on the run, here?"

Levi shrugged. "Undetermined. My agency is looking into it and they'll contact me if there are any changes. For now, just try to stay calm and do as I say. I'll keep you alive and safe. Seems to be my eternal duty, in fact."

That statement puzzled Eren. He stared as the shorter man got up, stretched and went over to the window. "There's only one bedroom in this shit-hole, but you can take the bed," Levi informed him. "The one thing I _did_ get a chance to do was put clean sheets on it. There aren't any pillows, though. Couldn't carry any on my bike, and I wasn't about to have either of us put our heads on those nasty things that were on that bed before. Imagine that long, shaggy hair of yours getting a lice infestation. What a pain in the ass _that_ would be to clear up."

Eren touched his hair a bit self-consciously. He'd only ever gotten compliments about his hair since growing it out. "You're not fond of long hair, are you?"

Levi glanced back over his shoulder at him, those eyes of his again piercing Eren like daggers. "It can get in the way. At least you seem to take care of yours."

Eren's mouth tensed on one side into a combination of a grimace and a smirk. "I'm not a bum, you know."

"Did I say you were?" Levi looked back out the window before closing the dusty blinds. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, and he checked his watch. "It's late, so I'm not going to bother getting into a full cleaning session. However, I'm not setting foot in that bathroom until it's at least satisfactory enough to take a shower and a shit in. Come on, Eren. You can smoke after you help me tidy it up in there. Afterwards, I'll allow you to contact your friends on my phone and we can eat something."

Sensing that it wasn't a good idea in the slightest to argue with this man, Eren nodded. He followed Levi down the narrow hallway to the bathroom. His eyes widened when Levi clicked on the light and he saw how dirty the bathroom is. "Oh man, that's bad..."

"You think?" Levi almost looked the tiniest bit amused as he turned to look up at Eren. "In the hall closet across from this abysmal puke-hole are a few things I brought to take care of situations like this. It isn't much. I couldn't fit a full broom on my bike with all the other shit, so we'll have to make due with a hand broom, a dustpan and soapy rags. Tomorrow I'll call for a trusted colleague to bring us better cleaning equipment."

"How long are we staying here?" Eren's brows furrowed with dismay. He sucked at cleaning. He had a maid come to his apartment twice a week to take care of all of that for him. He was used to living in a high-class dwelling, too. This was like camping at its worst.

"Not long. A couple of days, perhaps." Levi shrugged and he nodded meaningfully at the hallway behind Eren. "Now get out what meager supplies we have, Jaeger. Time to make this shitter halfway presentable. Tomorrow we'll do a more thorough job on the rest of the place."

Eren could understand at least cleaning the bathroom, changing the bedding and maybe getting any outstanding mess off the floors, but it sounded like Levi wanted to do a full sweep. "Uh, Agent Ackerman...if we're only going to be here for a couple of days, why go through that much trouble?"

Levi's expression remained mute and bored, but there was a warning edge in his voice as he spoke next, and his eyes flashed. "If you want to stay in a shitty pigsty filled with germs and mold for a few days, go find yourself a ditch. Otherwise shut your mouth and get to work."

Eren sighed. "Just to warn you, I'm no good at cleaning." He went to the closet to retrieve whatever meager supplies Levi had stashed in there.

"You don't say."

Levi's voice was dryly amused, giving Eren pause to glance back at him curiously. The agent was watching him with glittering eyes, and there was something in them that sent a small wave of warmth through the singer. It was almost as though Levi seemed...nostalgic. Eren shrugged it off and returned to his task, gathering up the dustpan and hand brush, a bottle of lemony cleaner and several cloths. He turned around with them and he set them down at the threshold of the bathroom.

"Good." Levi took two of the cloths from atop the neatly folded pile, and he folded one into a triangle and tied it around his face, covering his mouth and nose. The other one he secured over his hair, leaving his raven bangs peeking out. He nodded at Eren. "You too. It's going to get dusty and we shouldn't breathe any of it or the cleaning solution fumes."

Eren just stared at him, his mind again jolted by a maddening sense of recollection. He'd seen Levi like this before. He'd pictured him like this once already. In his imagination's eye, he could see Ackerman standing like this before him, wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt, white pants and brown boots that came up to the top of his knees. There was a ruffled, stylish cravat around his throat and over his outfit he wore the same series of harness straps he still had on from that strange combat gear he'd used against Eren's attempted kidnappers earlier. In the background, he could picture a different scene. The inside of...a castle?

Eren frowned and shook his head, bowing it to rub at his brows and snap himself out of it. His imagination was running away with him again. This was getting ridiculous. He'd never been inside of a castle before, and he needed to rid himself of these fanciful, romantic notions of Levi.

"What's your problem?"

Eren raised his head again to find Levi watching him intently, almost expectantly. It was as if he were waiting to hear something he already knew Eren was going to say, and that only jarred Eren's already shaken composure further.

"Nothing, I just...I feel like we've been here before. Well, not _here_ , but in a similar situation. Never mind. It's stupid."

"Hmm. Just put on the scarves like I told you and let's get started, then."

* * *

Cleaning the bathroom didn't take as long as Eren supposed it might. Levi did most of the work, truth be told. After seeing how much dirt and dust Eren kept leaving behind when attempting to sweep it up, the agent made an annoyed "Tch" sound and he hopped out of the tub to snatch the dustpan and brush from him. Telling him to leave off the sweeping and take over wiping down the bathtub, he resumed where Eren had left off, and within moments the floor was clear of dust and Levi was on his hands and knees. The agent scrubbed the floor vigorously with one of the hot, soapy rags he'd left soaking in the plugged sink. Before Eren knew it, the floor was practically clean enough to eat off of, and Levi joined him in the tub with the lemon spray and helped him finish that up.

"It will do," stated Levi in finality once they'd finished cleaning the whole bathroom.

It had taken only forty-five minutes in total, Eren noted as he checked his watch. He glanced at the smaller man and he almost regretted finishing so soon, if only because Levi was removing those scarves from his head and around his mouth. He looked so cute in them, and there was something familiar and comforting about cleaning with him. It was ridiculous, of course.

"So what now?" Eren followed suit and he removed his own scarves, handing them over when Levi held his hand out for them.

The agent folded the four cloths and he walked out of the bathroom to place them on a shelf in the closet, keeping them separated from the other squares of cloth. "Now we heat up some canned soup for a meager dinner and we get our asses to bed. You need to get what rest you can, Jaeger. Tomorrow we're doing this whole hovel, and I expect it to be fit to dwell in by the afternoon."

Eren suppressed a sigh, but on the bright side, he'd get to see Levi dressed up for cleaning again. He didn't know why he found him so appealing like that, but there was nothing for it. He gathered up the rest of the supplies, leaving the used cloths hanging on the towel rack where Levi had left them to dry after rinsing them off.

"You said I could use your phone to try and call someone in my band or our manager," reminded the singer as he stashed the items and closed the closet. He turned to face Levi, standing beside him in the hallway.

"So I did. It's a bit late, but I'm sure they're worried about you and forgoing sleep waiting to hear from you. Come to the living room with me and I'll get my phone from my jacket for you to use."

They both started off at the same time and Eren clumsily tripped over Levi's feet, failing to watch where he was going. Again, he found himself caught up in the other man's arms, with Levi's small, hard frame pressed tightly against him as he stopped him from falling.

"What is _with_ you?" muttered Levi in that calm voice that didn't match his apparent irritation. He frowned up at Eren, and his hands again slipped from around his waist to slide over the singer's chest, apparently with the intent of pushing him away.

Eren's gaze dropped and he noticed that the top of Levi's muscle shirt had torn open further at some point, leaving a gap in the material that exposed a tantalizing bit of flesh. It must have happened during the fight against the men that had gone after Eren, and he only just noticed it now because of how chaotic things had been. His lust for this man came flooding back quickly. He was aware that Ackerman wasn't exactly pushing him away, and he wanted more. He took Levi's example, and he slipped his hands from around his waist to stroke them over the agent's torso—in a much more insinuating way than what Levi had done.

"You're so damned sexy," murmured Eren before he could stop himself. "The way you move...the sound of your voice...those fucking eyes of yours. Levi, I still don't understand. I feel like I know you from somewhere, but how can that be? I'd have remembered seeing someone like you before, and yet...the minute I saw you it was like something clicked inside of me. Like I was almost able to remember something important."

Eren leaned over to murmur boldly in Levi's ear, used to having his desires met when he approached someone he fancied. "I want you."

"Don't be an idiot," muttered Levi, but he was breathing fast and hard like Eren, his brows furrowed in a restless manner. He stopped pressing against the singer's chest to reach out and bolt the door to their unsavory little hiding place for the night. "This can't happen, Jaeger. I'm here to keep you safe, and—mmph..."

Eren's mouth descended to Levi's and his kiss muffled the agent's protests. He lanced his tongue into his mouth, shoving it between Levi's parted lips to curl and stroke against his. The low, resonant moan that resulted made Eren's libido flare even hotter, and he shoved Levi firmly against the wall.

Ackerman yanked his head to the side to break the kiss and he spoke in a husky gasp. "Shit, you brat! I swore I wouldn't do this with either of you this time around and—"

"Either of us?" interrupted Eren, pulling back to gaze at him with interested confusion. His shaggy bangs had fallen over one bright eye and he shook them aside, puzzling over the strange declaration. "I know there's not two of me running around...unless I've got a twin somewhere I never knew about. Again, I want to know who the hell you _are_. I don't understand half of what you say!"

"I'm not talking about a twin or a body-double," groused Levi. He was practically pouting and he averted his gaze, dropping his arms to his sides. "I'm talking about you and Erwin...oh, never fucking mind. If I tried to explain it all to you, we'd be up all night and you wouldn't believe it at any rate."

"Try me," urged Eren. "I've already seen some of the shit you can do—unbelievable shit that I've only ever seen in films. Who's Erwin? His name sounds a little like mine. Are you sure he's not some evil twin? What did that mean before, about you swearing you'd never do this with 'either of us this time around'? Talk to me, Captain."

At once, Eren's eyes went round in his face. Captain. Captain Levi. It sounded right, both in his head and on his tongue. He could envision him on a black horse, wearing a forest-green cloak with a hood and some winged symbol stitched into the back of it. He couldn't quite recall the details of the symbol, but he was reminded of his band's logo.

"I know you," repeated Eren in a whisper, utterly convinced of it, "but how? From where?"

The smaller man was staring at him, and Eren couldn't tell whether it was surprise or consternation he'd seen in his gaze when he'd referred to him as "Captain".

"You said that you would explain," reminded Eren.

Levi looked away, his face dropping into a bland expression again. "I thought you wanted to contact your friends."

"You said Mikasa knows I'm with you," reasoned Eren, "and for some damned reason, she seemed to trust you...just like I do. I need answers, Levi."

At the sound of his name from Eren's lips, the smaller man almost seemed to shiver. "It's going to be a hard pill to swallow, kid. Just warning you now."

"I'll deal," promised Eren. He smiled a little and he dared to cup Levi's chin and urge him to look up at him. "And why do you keep calling me 'kid'? You can't be much older than me, and I'm an adult."

"Old habits." Levi's mystifying eyes held his, and he reached up with a soft, barely perceptible sigh to comb his fingers through Eren's long brown locks. "All right, we'll get some food heated up, sit down to eat and I'll explain some of it to you. There's no way I can explain all of it tonight, you understand. It's quite a long history. Everything I tell you is either going to raise more questions in your mind, or convince you that I'm a complete nutcase and make you want to get the hell away from me."

"I don't think there's any way the latter will happen," declared Eren softly. He wanted to kiss him again, but Levi's tense stance warned him that he'd find himself on his back in an unpleasant way if he tried.

"Pretty words," muttered Levi, "but we'll see."

* * *

Eren listened to Levi's explanation of why his agency suspected that this organization was after him. Apparently they dealt in illegal experimentation and there was some special quality in his genetic code that they were after. When Levi explained what that might be and why he had it, Eren only became more confused.

"So you're saying I've been reincarnated," he said slowly, "and this 'coordinate' thing is still with me? How?"

"Damned if I know," admitted Levi with a smooth roll of his shoulders that passed as a shrug. "Maybe because you—like myself and apparently a lot of other people—were reborn just as you once were. Maybe that ability is a permanent part of you, dead, alive or reborn. I'm no scientist, brat."

"You keep calling me 'brat' and 'kid', when you aren't barking my last name at me like a drill sergeant," observed Eren. He put aside his confusion over the DNA business for a moment in the interest of learning the answer to why Levi was so familiar to him. "You and I knew one another in another life, right?"

Levi gave a nod. "Correct." He took a bite of his heated soup with a little grimace, clearly disliking the flavor. He washed it down with a sip of bottled tea. "It would seem I'm the only one of us that recalls everything that happened in that lifetime—except perhaps for Mikasa. I'm willing to wager she still has clear recollection of it as well. She just keeps it to herself."

Eren lowered his gaze in thought. "Please, help me understand. I've always felt a sort of kinship with all of my band mates and our manager since the day we first met—even Jean, though he pisses me off. It always felt to me like we were pulled together for some reason, and I've always thought it was because we were destined to make great music and hit it big. Levi...did we _all_ know each other?"

"Yes, you did. In fact in your past life, you and Mikasa grew up together." He sipped his tea again and his eyes unfocused, becoming distant. "It's very interesting how fate seems to be throwing so many of us back into one another's paths again. Makes me wonder what the hell could come of it."

"Me and Mikasa?" Eren blinked, uncertain of whether he could believe that. Still, he'd always felt very close to her and Armin in particular. "Were we related?"

Levi shook his head. "Not by blood, no. Your family adopted her after she lost her parents. Like myself, Mikasa is from a minority bloodline that...ah, shit, I don't even know how to explain it. Let's just say our recall is a bit stronger than most, shall we?"

"Uh, okay." Eren's face scrunched slightly as he tried to make sense of that. It was getting very late though, and neither of them had bathed yet. "You think Mikasa remembers our past lives like you, right?"

The agent lifted his head and he took his attention away from his last spoonful of soup to skewer Eren with that sharp gaze of his again. "Do you think she'd have just given me—a complete stranger—the nod to take off with her lead singer if she didn't recognize me? Would she have allowed it if she believed for one minute that I couldn't protect you? Think about it. She's always looked out for you since you've known her, I imagine. More than anyone else in the band too, right?"

Eren shrugged uncomfortably, feeling a chill go through him. He was again starting to feel like his brain wanted to remember something, but it stayed just out of reach. "Yeah."

 _~Can I believe this guy's words? It all sounds so out there, but all I have to do is look into his eyes and I can see that Levi believes whole-heartedly in every word he's shared with me. I...can't disbelieve him. He doesn't seem like the sort that would make up bullshit stories, and I've been having all of those flashes since meeting him.~_

Eren _had_ in fact had such brief, random flashes of recollection before, of course, but they usually came in his dreams, or after he'd known someone for a bit. With Levi, they came to him almost _immediately_ , along with that same sense of familiarity he'd always had with his band and Armin. Why was that feeling so powerful with this man, and why was he so drawn to him—aside from the obvious.

 _"Shit, you brat! I swore I wouldn't do this with either of you this time around..."_

The singer thought on that statement Levi had made earlier, and the way Levi's voice had betrayed some hint of passionate emotion. Erwin...and him. What had happened?

"So how did you and I meet?" inquired Eren, choosing to get as much basic information as he could for now and worry about the details later. He felt he _had_ to know what he really was to Levi in that previous life...and what this man Erwin had been.

Levi took the last bite of his soup and he stared at him mutely, causing Eren to squirm a little with frustration. "Come on...you said you'd give me some answers. I've been cooperating so far, haven't I?"

"Hmm." Levi finished swallowing the mouthful and he took another drink from his tea. "Enough for tonight, Jaeger. Finish that shit excuse for a meal, clean up after yourself, bathe and go to bed. You've still got half a bowl left because you've been asking so many damned questions. I'll take care of my dishes and have my shower first. You ought to be finished by then to come in after me and take yours. Oh, and don't neglect to brush your teeth before bed."

With that said, Agent Ackerman got up and he put the remainder of his tea in the fridge before going to the sink to clean up his bowl and spoon. He stashed them both in the drying rack and he started to leave for the bathroom.

"Wait," pleaded Eren, and Levi stopped to turn and glare at him. Eren gulped. "Can't you just give me a quick, abridged explanation and tell me the rest later?"

The pale, heavy-lidded gaze swept over Eren before Levi shook his head. "There _is_ no quick, abridged version. I said that's enough, Eren. I'm fucking tired and we've got a long day ahead of us."

Eren sighed as the smaller man turned again and resumed his trek to the bathroom. He saw Levi pause briefly to gather up the folded gray pajama bottoms he'd left on the now sheet-covered couch in the living room area, and then the agent vanished into the short hallway.

"Great," muttered Eren dejectedly. "I still don't know shit about him, really. I didn't even get to call anyone."

It would be a wonder if he could get to sleep at all tonight. He was a bit sullen that Levi had turned him down, even though he could detect the man's favorable reaction to his kiss, earlier. He smirked a little as he spooned up more soup. If Levi's 'past life' story was to be believed, then Eren had to assume that the two of them must have been involved in more than a friendly relationship.

He frowned, thinking of the way Levi had reminded him to brush his teeth before bed, and the way he kept referring to him as a kid or a brat. The conflict between Levi's references as such and the heat Eren felt between them made him wonder if he was imagining the latter. Tomorrow...maybe tomorrow he'd get more answers, and he'd have the chance to touch bases with his friends and figure out what he was going to do about all this.

That was, if the dangerous and mysterious man "watching over him" would allow him any choice in that. Eren was beginning to wonder if he was now Levi's prisoner, in actuality.

* * *

-To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Yes! I am a filthy, dirty slut and I LOVE IT! Hell yes, I will smut the living shit out of all of you! (response to trolling)_

While Eren and Levi were preparing to bed down for the night someplace unknown to them, the band and their manager were still arguing over what to do. Armin in particular was baffled that the bassist would have just stood aside and let some mystery fan take off with Eren, regardless of the actions Levi had taken that had undoubtedly saved Eren's ass.

"We don't know a thing about him," repeated Armin for perhaps the fifth time since they reached the high-dollar hotel he'd hastily booked suites in for the night. They were currently in his suite, and Armin had been on the phone almost non-stop when he wasn't arguing with the band.

Mikasa was staring down at an apple in her hand with only two bites taken out of it. "Eren was safer with that man than he would have been with us; even with our security and with me watching out for him. You're just going to have to trust me."

"Well, if Mikasa trusts him and the guy really _is_ keeping Eren safe, then your quest for a bodyguard for him is over." Connie nodded at Armin. "Best of all, it sounds like he's doing it for free!"

"Don't be so fast to assume." Armin almost frantically checked his call list again, and he once more tried contacting Eren's phone. "Damn it, I thought this 'Levi' told you that Eren would contact us as soon as he got him to this supposed 'safe place', Mikasa!"

"He...he did." She faltered a little, her soft lips tugging into a worried frown. "You may as well stop trying to reach Eren on his mobile, Armin. I'm sure Levi would have made him toss it away. People could track him through that."

"Up until now, it isn't like Jaeger's made his activities and locations a secret." Jean leaned back in the chair he'd procured by the sliding glass door leading out to the balcony, and he slid it open a little before lighting up a cigarette. He took a drag and he looked at each of his friends in turn. "Eren's always been on the reckless side...kind of flaky, too. He probably just got all caught up in the excitement and forgot to try and give us a buzz."

"It isn't like him to neglect checking in with us when unexpected things spring up, though." Armin frowned and he walked to the sliding glass doors to gaze out over the city. He sighed. "I really hope your trust in this fellow isn't misplaced, Mikasa. For all we know, he could be the one behind all the recent kidnapping attempts and the entire thing was staged for him to gain Eren's trust. He was asking questions about our security and how much difficulty Eren's had in the past with crazed fans."

Armin turned to regard them all severely. "And he specifically said 'Eren', didn't he? No mention of any of the rest of you at all."

"Well, yeah." Connie nodded. "It's like I said before; all those questions he was asking didn't sit right with me."

"Well isn't _that_ convenient," muttered Jean, exhaling his smoke out the cracked door. "Mr. Punk Metal Tighty-pants was in the right place at the right time. I'm beginning to side with Armin, here. There was something funny about that guy and I don't mean 'funny ha-ha', either. He gave me a strange vibe."

"Me too," agreed Connie.

"Same here." Armin looked at Mikasa with searching blue eyes, waiting for her response.

Mikasa crossed her legs and looked absently out the window she was seated nearby. "Eren was the one to offer a backstage pass to him. He specifically sent one of our stagehands to give it to him. Levi didn't seek it out in the slightest; he was invited. Whether it's happenstance or whether he deliberately came for a purpose, the fact is he probably saved Eren's life. None of us would have made it to him in time, and as determined as Eren can be, he couldn't have fought off all of his attackers on his own."

She turned to gaze at each of them in turn. "After witnessing him in action, do you really believe that man _needed_ a team of pawns to set it up, if his purpose was to abduct Eren?"

They all looked at each other, uncertainty spreading through them like a cold wind through a field. Suddenly, their resolve in judgment concerning the mysterious Levi wavered.

"He was," said Mikasa with certainty, "Eren's protector. Not his enemy."

She turned her head to look out the window again, her velvety, guarded eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to see Eren from far away. "He's better off with Levi, wherever they are. Whoever's behind these abduction attempts wants Eren specifically. That much is clear. Armin, you intended to hire a bodyguard for Eren. As Connie said; that isn't necessary now. I'm sure we'll hear something from him soon."

They all lapsed into silence then, until Armin heaved a sigh. "Well, it's doing us no good sitting here wondering all night long. I don't intend to leave Trost until we can at least be certain Eren is safe and can keep us updated. If you'll all excuse me, I have to prepare to deal with the press. I think it's best if you leave all of the comments to me."

Nobody disagreed with that. They'd already had to wade through reporters and fans under the tight guard of their crew and security just to make it into the hotel. The questions shouted at them had all seemed to mesh together into senseless garble, there were so many voices. Eren's name was the one clear word any of them could make out in the din of inquiries, and none of them had any answers.

* * *

Eren came out of the bathroom in the sleeping boxers that Levi had provided for him, and he was shocked by how well they fit his body. He'd expected them to be too small or too large, but they matched his size perfectly. He put on the black robe also left for him, and he cleaned his teeth with the brand new toothbrush and tube of paste waiting on the sink counter. He honestly felt much better. He walked into the small living room to wish Levi goodnight, and he froze when he saw him. Levi was standing by the couch with his back turned to Eren, and his white robe rustled as he slipped out of it. Levi was wearing a pair of plain gray sleep pants, bare-chested and bare-footed. It looked as though he'd taken the trouble to hand-sweep at least the area around the couch, and there were a pair of house slippers nearby at the foot of it for him to slip on if he needed to traverse across floor paths not yet cleaned up.

At first, Eren just stood dumbfounded at the sight of Levi from behind. The flickering, dim light from the naked bulb hanging pathetically from the ceiling highlighted Levi's toned physique almost like candlelight. The perfect symmetry of powerful, lean musculature in the man's shoulders and back were a thing anyone could appreciate, and the curve of his spine was graceful...tempting. Even with all of this gymnastic beauty exposed to him, what caught Eren's attention the most and made his eyes widen was the tattoo spanning between Levi's shoulders.

Agent Ackerman had the logo of Eren's band tattooed on his back.

For a moment, Eren thought that his tired eyes must be playing tricks on him. He stared, his pulse thudding in his temples as he watched the play of muscles ripple beneath that unmistakable emblem as Levi stretched and tilted his head back. White overlapping black, the design was identical to the caricature of wings that "Remember the Titans" had been using since Eren put the band together. The only difference was that the bottom wing on theirs was navy blue. Now that he recalled, Levi also had a patch with the band logo on the sleeve of his jacket—and that one was white on blue. In addition to the tattoo marking, Levi had other faint marks on his back and shoulders. They matched the harness straps of that gear he'd used to fly around with; hinting that he'd been using it long enough and often enough for the straps to leave their mark on his delicate looking skin like brands.

 _~Oh my god...is he just...another crazed fan? He's got the skills to be who he says he is, but what if he's just some maniac that trained some special fighting moves and invented his own freaky flying gear?~_

He thought about everything Levi had told him thus far, claiming that they'd known each other in a past life, and that his friends had as well. As crazy as it sounded, Eren had believed him, but now that he saw that Levi had permanently marked his band's logo on his back, he realized that he'd been sucked into the fantasy of a very dangerous person.

Suddenly, Eren's attraction to Levi was on the back burner. It had been so _easy_ to believe every word Levi said, because after all, he'd saved his ass...and there was that powerful sense of familiarity and...and warmth. Yes, warmth. That was it. He'd felt safe with Levi, and oddly happy despite the shitty circumstances of their meeting. Now all of that was evaporating like an illusion as common sense and logic began to tear through his curtain of daydreams like the cruel talons of a bird of prey would tear into its victim.

Levi sensed his presence as he stopped stretching. He remained poised with his feet slightly apart with easy balance, and he turned his upper body just slightly to look over his shoulder at the singer. Those hooded gray eyes caught and held Eren's.

"Going to bed?"

The soft-spoken question seemed so normal, and so casual. Despite the sense of danger pricking at the back of Eren's neck, he got caught up in yet another feeling of recollection, like he'd seen this man in this exact pose before, only he was looking down at him from a greater height, with steam rising in the background and the dimmed sun highlighting his features.

Not even the sensual pose and the way it drew attention to Levi's tight ass was enough to quell Eren's rising feeling of dread. He wanted to fuck a lunatic, and he was out in the middle of God knew where, alone with him. Nobody would hear him if he screamed. Eren was certainly no coward by any means. In fact, his friends often told him he was too reckless and thought he was tougher than he actually was. This time it was different, however. He'd seen Levi single-handedly take down all but one of the armed group that had come after Eren after the concert, and that didn't even count the guy on the catwalk that was supposedly waiting for the right moment to shoot him. He'd done it all with the ease and grace of a predator, at home in the element of the hunt.

A faint crinkle appeared between Levi's thin brows, and he turned to face Eren more completely. His eyes were opaque as usual, giving nothing away while taking everything in around him. "You seem pale all the sudden. Why?"

His short, monotone question demanded an immediate answer, and Eren swallowed hard to force his vocal chords back into action. His mouth formed the words without the permission of his brain, and out came the first lame excuse he could think of to cover his true fears. "I saw a roach."

One of those fine dark brows lifted, and Levi's mouth quirked ever so slightly. His gaze softened and for one magnanimous second, those predatory eyes grew warm with amusement on Eren. "Disgusting creatures, I agree. Unfortunately, there's little we can do except stomp on them and dispose of them when we see them, until tomorrow. Surely those big feet of yours are more than a match for a bug, Jaeger."

Eren curled his toes self-consciously. "My feet aren't that big..." then he looked down at Levi's bare feet—which he found cute in their small size and shape despite his perceived peril—and he revised his words. "Okay, maybe compared to yours they are, but I'm not deformed."

"Heh, I never said you were." Levi used his folded robe as a pillow as he lay down on the couch and covered up with the thin blanket he'd thrown over the sheet. "Try not to panic if you see another one, Jaeger. Just crush it with your boot. We'll bomb the place tomorrow when my associate brings what I've asked."

"It flew into my hair," Eren went on stupidly. Then he realized Levi had been dismissing him, and he wondered why in the hell he was trying to carry on the conversation about something that didn't even happen.

 _~It's his voice. I like his voice. It could be the last thing I hear in this world, too. I've got to get my brain in gear and think about what I'm going to do!~_

Levi sat up again, frowning this time. "The fucking cockroach flew into your _hair_? After you just washed it? Come here."

A fresh needle of panic stabbed at Eren, and he shook his head quickly. "Oh no...I mean, I just _thought_ it did, but it landed on the wall and I got it with my boot. Uh, don't worry, I flushed it. It was just really gross. I'd better get to bed. Early day tomorrow, right? G'night, Levi."

Eren turned to go, and he heard the other man's softly uttered comment behind him.

"Interesting lie."

He almost paused, but Eren chose to pretend not to hear it. His skin prickled and he knew beyond a doubt that if Levi came after him, he probably wouldn't even hear him until he was right on top of him. He braced himself as he started down the hall, but instead of feeling the agent slamming into him from behind bodily, he heard his next words do so, instead.

"You haven't said anything about my wings, Eren. You saw them, right?"

Eren froze in mid-step. "W-wings?"

"The tattoo," elaborated Levi calmly. "I know you were standing there for at least long enough to notice it. I'm rather surprised you didn't make an inquiry. Too scared?"

Eren drew a shivering breath, and he turned around. He forced a friendly smile for the other man, relieved to see that Levi had relaxed casually on his back and wasn't looming up behind him. He looked sensual, lying there with the blanket covering him to the waist and one knee bent. The harness-striped nudity of his torso drew the singer's eyes unwittingly, and Eren surveyed Levi's exposed upper body from clavicle to navel before he even realized he was doing it.

"A lot of our fans get tattoos of our logo," he excused. That was true enough. He'd seen pictures on their media page sent by fans proudly displaying fresh tattoos of the wings. "Maybe I was a little surprised to see you have one, since you said you haven't been listening to us for very long. It's nice. Probably the biggest one I've seen yet."

"Hmm." Levi narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at him. "Do you know what those wings represent, Eren Jaeger?"

"Freedom," answered the singer automatically. It was always the first word that sprang to mind, from the moment the image of the emblem popped into his head.

Levi tilted his head a little to the side, and while his facial expression remained neutral, something intensified in his eyes. He gave a slow, single nod of approval. "Yes. The Wings of Freedom. You remember them, obviously."

"I...they came to me one day when we were trying to come up with a logo." Eren had always thought he'd designed them, but Levi's steady gaze had him wondering. He was getting confused again, caught between fear, desire and hope.

"Possibly because you were amongst the same people you once trained with and fought beside," mused Levi.

Eren stared at him again. "Who _are_ you?"

"You keep asking that," snorted Levi, "and I keep telling you that I'll explain it all in time. Tonight, we both need our rest. We can talk more about it tomorrow, Eren."

Levi glanced up at the dim bulb overhead. "I'm already settled in, and this outdated piece of shit requires reaching up and pulling the chain to turn it off. Do that for me, won't you? I don't feel like getting up again."

Eren glanced up at the ceiling light, and he cringed a little inside with the realization that it was directly over the couch. He'd be putting himself within direct reach of Levi if he complied—and yet, it was never a good idea to piss off a potential lunatic when alone and unarmed with one.

"Sure." Eren walked across the creaky floorboards on his bare feet, feeling like he was heading straight into a trap.

Levi watched him evenly for a few moments, and then those spellbinding, pale eyes of his drifted shut with a sigh. Eren stopped when he was beneath the light, standing over the alleged "agent". He looked down at him for a moment and he was amazed by how relaxed Levi appeared to be right now. He knew in his heart that was a dangerous misconception to entertain, and he reached up to click off the light.

Eren turned hastily, and he tried to make a dash for the bedroom as quietly as possible. He could see the light coming from the hallway, beaming from the cracked door of the bedroom. Unfortunately, he couldn't see where his feet were and he tripped over Levi's boots in his attempt to flee. He tried to catch himself, but he couldn't see well enough to tell what was around him. Just as he cursed and prepared for the impact of the floor on his face, strong arms caught him and pulled him back from the fall, turning him in the process.

The next thing he knew, Eren was on top of Levi. He could just make out his glittering eyes in the shadow of his face in the faint moonlight that shone through the blinds of the window. He could feel his warm breath against his lips, feel his heart thumping against his as their chests pressed together.

"Afraid I'm going to come and get you, like the monster beneath your bed?" In the dimness Eren could just make out Levi's smirk. "Like maybe if you run and jump onto it fast enough, I can't reach you? Pull those covers up tight over your head too, brat. I might not notice you're there, if you do that."

Eren flushed. "I was only trying to leave without disturbing you," he excused in a rush. Levi's body was hard and warm against his, with only the thin material of their sleeping garments separating them now that the blanket had slipped. The conflict of fear and want had poor Eren in a quandary.

"By blundering two steps and falling on your face? Tch. Let's be honest." Levi reached up to cup Eren's chin. "You're afraid of me, aren't you?"

"I...don't know," answered the singer. He was getting angry, but at who, he couldn't say. "What do you expect? You show up out of nowhere, take down all those guys, whisk me off to some hole in the wall and tell me we knew each other in a past life...but you won't explain how, when or why. Then I find out you've got a huge tattoo of our band logo on your back. Wouldn't anyone be a little fucking wary under those circumstances?"

"Anyone with a brain, I'm sure," agreed Levi almost pleasantly. He released Eren's chin. "I'll say to you this, Eren: There are...puh...get your damned hair out of my face..."

Realizing Levi had gotten some of said hair in his mouth due to proximity, Eren quickly drew back a little and muttered an apology.

"As I was saying, Eren; there are plenty of monsters out there who mean you harm. I'm not one of them. Consider this a test of trust. There's more behind that emblem you've chosen to represent your band than you realize. We'll discuss that and the irony of your band's title tomorrow. Now go to sleep."

Eren hesitated, his pulse still racing at the close contact. He had a crazy urge to kiss Levi again, and he knew that would be a stupid move, considering his uncertainty and suspicion. He carefully eased off of the smaller man and he got up off the couch.

"Goodnight, Levi."

He made his exit more carefully, and he didn't feel safe until he was in the bedroom with the flimsy door locked behind him. A lot of good locking it would do him, though. He had a feeling that it wouldn't stop Levi if the man decided to come and attack him during what remained of the night. He climbed into the creaky brass bed after clicking the light off, and he lay down with his jacket as a pillow, trying to get some sleep.

* * *

Eren found that he couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned for two hours in the lumpy bed, and he finally sat up and looked to the window. If Levi was sleeping soundly enough, he could sneak out and try to contact his friends. Maybe he could find his way to a service station and use the phone...arrange for someone to come and get him. He _wanted_ to trust Levi, he really did, but it all felt so surreal and the cold logic pointed at his fear that Levi wasn't as benevolent as he tried to appear. Eren could see the cool calculation in his eyes sometimes, and his imagination had begun to come up with all sorts of things the man might be plotting to do with him.

He got out of bed and he changed back into his clothes from yesterday, lamenting the loss of his cellphone. He knew Levi had one somewhere in his jacket. It was risky, but perhaps he could snitch it while the agent was sleeping and take it outside for a quick call to Armin—whose number was the only one on his contact list that Eren knew by heart, because Arlert was always calling him more than anyone else.

Firming his shoulders with resolve, Eren scrubbed his fingers through his hair in a hasty way of grooming it, having no time for a brush. He made sure he still had his pocketknife in his inner jacket pocket—which he'd summarily forgotten to even try using when he came under attack the night before—and he crept as carefully as he could out of the bedroom and down the hallway. Every step set his teeth on edge. The faint creak of the floorboards sounded like the groan of a giant in his over-sensitive ears, and his adrenaline spiked as he slowly made his way into the living room. His eyes were adjusted to the dark, and he could just make out the Lump of Levi's form on the couch in the shadowed living room.

Eren took pause to look down at the agent for a moment, assuring himself that he was asleep. Levi had his head turned to the side, his dark bangs falling over half his face. His was breathing deeply and evenly, and he gave no sign that he sensed Eren's presence. Doing his best to fumble around quietly in the dark and not alert the man to his presence, Eren tip-toed over to Levi's jacket, hanging on a hook near the front door. He considered it for a moment, wondering if he should try to dig Levi's phone out of it…but he was afraid of rifling through the dangerous man's belongings and accidentally stabbing or shooting himself with some weapon that might be in there. Instead, Eren made for the front door. It seemed to take forever just to undo the chain and turn the bolt lock without making a ruckus, and once this was done, he had sweat beading his forehead. He slipped out and he grimaced at the creaking sound that the door made.

He was outside. Eren looked around in disorientation, having no idea of which direction to travel. He'd never been to Trost before, and yet the more he looked at his surroundings, the more he felt like he had a basic understanding of the landscape. He didn't question the oddness of it. He could see lights off in the distance down the road to the east—the lights of the city, if the spotlight beams were any indication. That was where he should go.

He briefly considered going back in to see if he could get the keys for Levi's bike to steal it for his getaway, but he nixed that idea as a very, very bad one. No, he was better off going on foot until he found a service station or some sort of store on the way. Eren walked out to the road and he turned, hesitating one last time as he looked back at the hovel.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I really want to trust you, but this is all too much for me right now."

With that said, he took off at a brisk walk, trying to travel quickly without expending too much of his energy.

* * *

Eren's footsteps faltered as he walked along the side of the road, and he kept looking back. It was all so crazy, and yet he couldn't bring himself to completely disbelieve it. Mikasa had offered Levi that salute and greeted him respectfully when they met. Even that moment had felt familiar to Eren. He found himself repeating that gesture as he walked more slowly, his brows hedging. He'd saluted this way before—and he suspected one of the recipients of it was Levi.

"It's not possible...is it?"

Eren had never been a very spiritual person. He'd always personally believed that once you were dead, that was it. He chalked up his feelings of familiarity with his friends as simply good chemistry. That didn't explain Jean, of course. Half the time Eren didn't even _like_ the guy, yet he felt that kinship with him nonetheless.

"Levi," whispered Eren, still saluting as he walked. It came so naturally to him. "Captain Levi."

Eren stopped and he sighed, looking around at his surroundings as a car drove along the road and honked at him in passing. It gave him a start, and he was reminded that he was wandering the side of the road after two in the morning, past city limits, with no clear idea of where he was going and no phone to contact anyone for help. If what Levi said about the abduction attempts was true, then those guys could be out there looking for Eren right now...and here he was with nothing on him to defend himself except for a pocketknife.

 _~What the hell am I doing?~_

Eren looked back the way he'd come from again, and he compressed his lips. So far, Levi hadn't threatened him in any way. Eren didn't know if he could believe any of what he'd said to him concerning the supposed past life, but the skill set he'd demonstrated in that fight was at least proof that Ackerman knew what the hell he was doing. Eren could believe he had military training, if nothing else.

"Damn it, what choice do I have?"

Eren turned around and he headed back to the shack that was moderately hidden from the road behind the foliage. His footsteps quickened with a strange eagerness, and his gut was telling him that changing his mind and going back to Levi was the right choice. He just hoped he could _find_ the damned place again in the darkness.

* * *

He passed by it once, but when he doubled-back he located it without too much trouble. Eren swore as he passed through a low-hanging cobweb on his way up to the shack, but his curse died on his lips when he found Levi standing on the porch, leaning against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. The agent's cool gaze studied Eren quietly, and the singer slowed his approach with uncertainty churning inside of him. Levi's face was an unreadable mask in the moonlight. It was impossible to tell if he was angry—let alone guess what he was about to do. Levi had slipped his robe back on and he watched and waited expectantly as Eren climbed the steps, bracing himself for some kind of physical punishment.

"I half-expected you to fail the test, Jaeger."

Eren paused, regarding the other man with wary green eyes. That was right; Levi had said something about a test of trust. Eren held that hooded gaze with determination, and he spoke in a soft voice. "Would you have blamed me if I had?"

Levi shook his head slowly. "Not at all." He stepped away from the door and he turned the knob to open it. "You came back. Smart choice. After you, Eren."

The singer hesitated for one moment longer as Levi's eyes narrowed on him. Something about that gaze had become nostalgic. Was he seeing Eren as he used to know him, or was he thinking of something else entirely?

"Thank you." Eren stepped into the shack, and when he felt Levi's presence come up behind him, there was again that feeling of warmth that he couldn't explain. He turned to regard the smaller man in the dim light, perplexed as usual by the array of feelings he inspired within him. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since you left." Levi shut and locked the door, his gaze still narrowed on Eren.

"So...you weren't asleep after all. You knew I was going."

Levi nodded. He began to untie his robe as he returned to the couch and straightened out his bedding. "I knew. I was expecting it."

Eren gulped when Levi shed his robe again, and this time, he made himself examine the tattoo on his back. It made him think of a brand, and perhaps foolishly, he associated that brand with himself. That was ridiculous, though. He had no claim to his man. Those wings were about something bigger than his rock band. Eren again got a mental image of Levi, cloaked and brandishing those blades that were sheathed in his combat gear. It then occurred to him that the symbol he couldn't fully recollect from before on the back of that cloak was in fact the same wings. It was a military emblem.

"Would you please at least tell me one thing before we go back to bed, Levi?"

The agent turned to regard him and he relaxed his sharp gaze, looking mildly curious. "What is it?"

"The wings," answered Eren. "You called them the Wings of Freedom. You've told me that I've fought alongside my friends in a past life."

Eren took a deep breath, and he stepped closer to him. "Captain Levi, what military branch was it?"

"Hmph. I'm surprised you haven't guessed...but then again, you never were much on keeping up with history. We were in the Survey Corps, Eren; also known as the Scouting Legion."

Eren's eyes went wide. "Wait...but that was...those guys weren't real!"

"Weren't we?" Levi expressed some mild amusement, his mouth quirking. He stepped closer to Eren, looking up at him searchingly. "Old history can die fast and fall into legend sometimes, Jaeger. Doesn't mean it's all just faerie tales and mythology. We existed, and so did the titans."

Even as he turned the name of that legendary military unit over in his head, Eren felt a surge of excited recognition. A scout. Yes, he'd been a scout—but there was something about how he ended up joining that squad...something dark. The "coordinate". Levi said someone was after him because of it.

"Levi," said Eren carefully, "what is the coordinate, exactly? How did I get it in my previous life, and...what was I?"

"Those are questions best left to be answered after we wake up and have breakfast," replied Levi sternly. He placed one hand on Eren's shoulder and he gazed into his eyes. "Now go to bed, Eren. That's an order."

"Yes sir." The response was automatic, as if he were conditioned to issue it. It gave Eren a little shiver, but surprisingly, not an unpleasant one. He pulled away reluctantly from his small but intimidating companion, and he obediently returned to his small room to try and get some rest.

He could feel Levi's pale gaze boring into him every step of the way, and Eren couldn't tell what emotion provoked that intensity. He wanted to believe at least part of it was desire, based on Levi's heartfelt oath not to "do this with either of them again".

"Jaeger."

Eren turned around, and he realized that Agent Ackerman had just raised his eyes from the location of Eren's butt.

 _~He was checking me out. Good to know.~_

"I'm glad you decided to come back." Levi smirked the slightest bit as he sat down on the couch and prepared to bed down. "Saved me the trouble of tracking you down and having to rescue your ass again."

Eren looked a little sheepish. "Goodnight, Captain Levi."

The more he said it, the more natural it sounded to his ears.

* * *

The next morning, Levi explained more of their past life to Eren as they ate. He could tell by the look on his face as the tale unfolded that Eren found it incredible, yet blended with that incredibility was belief. His bright green gaze held Levi's as he listened intently. It was as if he couldn't take his eyes off of Levi, even for a moment.

"So we never discovered where the titans came from?" Eren queried when Levi took a break to eat more of his cereal.

Levi shook his head. "Not as far as I know. Not before I died, anyway. Now they're just monsters in mythology books. I'm sure none of the versions of those legends give an accurate account of the truth. Your cereal is going to get soggy, Eren."

The singer looked down at the bowl and he hastily spooned up a few bites. After chewing and swallowing, his eyes glued right back on to Levi's. "So you don't know where they came from or where they went. You…remember dying?"

Levi nodded. "Yes. You were there with me."

Eren looked a little wary. "Was I dead?"

The agent shook his head again. "No, you survived. For how long after that, I can only guess. Yours was the last face I saw before everything went black."

Levi narrowed his eyes again, casting his mind back to that moment. He vividly remembered Eren's tearful face and his husky voice, begging him not to die. He'd tried to stay. He'd even tried to sit up, but his strength finally failed him and his heart faltered. Levi remembered his final thoughts being that Eren had better survive.

"How did you die?"

"I bled out from my injuries," answered Levi absently. "A titan bit my leg off while I was coming to stop another one from grabbing you up."

Jaeger looked almost as devastated as he had that day. "You died saving me."

"It was my job," excused Levi. He shrugged. "I'll admit I was also attached to you, by then."

Now why in the hell did he have to say _that_? Now Eren was giving him that _look_ again, and Levi was glad the kitchen table was between the two of them. If Eren kissed him again like he had last night, he might just lose it.

"We were lovers," stated Eren with confidence.

"Yes." Levi looked down at his cereal. "We were lovers. It started out casual. I was involved with someone else when you and I fucked for the first time."

Eren blinked. "That Erwin guy you mentioned?" When Levi nodded, Eren pressed: "so you cheated on him with me?"

"Not exactly," sighed the agent. "It was a complicated situation. Erwin and I weren't exclusive to each other. Our occupation made commitment less than ideal, so he had his women on the side and I had the right to sleep with whomever I wanted to, as well. Tch. I never took advantage of that part of our arrangement, until you."

Eren smiled a little, his earlier expression of angst fading. "So you seduced me?"

"Think of it more like the other way around," answered Levi dryly. "One night I was frustrated and pissed off at Erwin, so I drank too much. You helped me to my sleeping quarters, but apparently you weren't satisfied with just putting me to bed. I knew you felt an attraction for me, but I didn't expect to feel your lips around my cock when you took my pants off. I thought it was Erwin at first, but then I realized it was you when you started asking me if it was okay."

Eren's look of horror wasn't the least bit feigned. "I…I did that while you were nearly passed out drunk? That's deplorable! Tell me you're kidding."

Levi smirked. "I'm not kidding. You blew me and then you fucked me silly."

"Oh my fucking god, seriously? That's like date rape!"

"Relax, Eren." Levi sipped his tea. "I was the one that requested you to fuck me. You might have started it, but you were asking me the whole time for permission before doing anything. You were pretty damned good for a virgin, too."

"How can you even remember, if you were sloppy drunk?" Eren was flushing with mortification.

"Alcohol doesn't fuck up my memory like other people. I had to toy with you a little, though. I came to you the next day drilling you about why my ass was so sore. You looked about ready to shit yourself."

Eren grimaced. "I can imagine. I'd say that was mean of you, but…I probably deserved that for taking advantage of you."

"You were a horny teenager," excused Levi. "Honestly, if anybody took advantage, it was me. I could have stopped you. Maybe I _should_ have, but it worked out in the end."

Eren's brow furrowed. "How old was I, and how old were you?"

"You were fifteen and I was thirty." At Eren's shocked look, Levi smirked again. "It was a different time, Eren. By the age of fifteen, kids were fighting in the military and dying for the good of humanity. You were basically considered a young adult. Of course if it happened like that today, I'd be arrested for screwing a minor."

Eren seemed to accept the explanation. "That's true, but I know the age of consent has changed over time. Guess I was one damned lucky fifteen year old." The singer winked at him. "It was all just casual, though?"

"In the beginning. That changed when the rift between Erwin and myself became too great and we finally stopped sleeping together entirely. After that, you and I became exclusive."

Eren didn't seem surprised by that. "It doesn't feel like you were just a fling to me. I'm still…that is…" Eren sighed and he lowered his gaze, flushing again. "I've never felt such a powerful attraction to someone I just met, before. I keep getting snatches of memories of you. Nothing clearly detailed, but familiar."

The singer's eyes softened on Levi as they lifted to regard him. "I must have been madly in love with you, Captain. It's the only explanation for the way I feel. It hit me like lightning the moment I saw you."

Levi felt a warning stir in his heart, and he ruthlessly suppressed it. Damn, Eren needed to stop looking at him like that, or he might forget his vow not to repeat history and drag him off to the bedroom. "So can I deduce this means you believe everything I've been telling you, Jaeger?"

"As crazy as it all seems, yes I do." Eren held his gaze. "You said I had the ability to shift into a titan form in that life. Could that happen in this one?"

"If it hasn't happened by now, probably not." Levi shrugged. "I don't even know if you really have the coordinate ability, but somebody out there knows about it and they obviously think you do."

Levi frowned in thought. Wait a minute…how _could_ anyone know about the coordinate? He'd never seen it mentioned in any history or mythology books, and everyone he'd met from his previous life had no recollection of that past—save Mikasa.

"Oh hey, that reminds me," Eren said, interrupting his thoughts with a very ironic question. "Are you and my bassist related in any way…or were you ever? You both have the same surname and you said she was in our squad."

"There may be a connection somewhere in the lineage of her family and mine." Levi shrugged. "I never cared enough to try and trace it."

"Hmm." Eren finished off his cereal, his eyes thoughtful. "It's really weird that we all came back with the same names. How could that happen? Does this mean my parents were reincarnated, too?"

"Maybe. I've never met your parents in either life. My mother in this life was a descendant of my mother in my past life. Couldn't tell you about my father. I never knew my old man in the previous one."

"Oh. So we all could have just been reborn to…wait! That means my mother in this life could be my own great, great, great…uh, however many greats…granddaughter, couldn't it?"

Levi snorted. "Not unless your tastes changed to women after I died, I don't think so."

"Ah, good point." Eren looked a little embarrassed. "But the others? That could be the case with some of them, couldn't it?"

"Maybe." Levi shrugged. "We're all recycled. Whether our parents were reincarnated before us or they're descendants of our bloodline, we're here now. I'm not spiritually or scientifically minded enough to sort it out."

Levi frowned again, once more reminded of his earlier thoughts concerning how the organization after Jaeger knew about the coordinate.

"I'm irritating you with all of these questions," guessed Eren. "I guess you're tired of talking about it?"

Levi shook his head. "It isn't that. I've just thought of something."

"What's that?" asked the other man.

"Someone involved in the organization trying to get their hands on you might be like me: Someone from our past lives that retained their memory. Someone that remembers you and knows you had the coordinate. I don't know about you, but I've never heard or read anything about the coordinate in this life. That means either someone from that organization knows and recognize you from the previous life, or someone managed to get a blood sample from you and found the results interesting enough to try and bring you in."

"But how would some secret research organization get a sample of my blood?" Eren scratched his head in perplexity. "I've never gone to…oh, wait. I did get some blood tests done sometime last year during a checkup. Do you think my doctor could be part of this organization?"

Levi got his phone out of his pocket. "What's the name of your doctor, and where is his office? At this point we can't rule it out that he or someone else there is using their job as a front to cover themselves."

"Actually, the doctor I go to is a she," explained Eren.

"Fine, what's her name?" Levi opened up his note application to put it down for reference and call it in. He knew where Eren lived already, and his agency had a branch in that city. He could have it investigated.

"Dr. Zoë."

Levi froze, his gaze flicking from the screen of his smart phone to Eren's face. "Zoë, he repeated. " _Hange_ Zoë?"

"Yeah, how did you know that?"

Levi stared at him with parted lips, and he saw the figurative light come on. "Don't tell me _she's_ one of us, too!"

"Unless it's just a big fucking coincidence, yeah. I can find out for sure by the end of the day. How did you feel around Hange, Eren? Did you ever get that feeling of familiarity that you've had with the rest of us?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I've kept her as my doctor for two years now because I like her." Eren was wide-eyed. "She's kind of eccentric, but she's cool."

"Describe her for me," demanded Levi. "What does she look like?"

"Kind of tall, with brown hair and glasses. Her eyes are brown, but they're an unusual shade, though."

"Kind of russet?" guessed Levi.

Eren nodded. "Yeah. So do you think she's the same person you're thinking of?"

"It sure as hell sounds like it, but let's not jump to conclusions. I'm going to get confirmation."

Levi dialed Erwin's cell number and he got up from the table to walk into the sparse living room for a little privacy.

* * *

-To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

_~So his boss is the same man he worked under in the past life,~_ Eren mused to himself as he sat outside on the stoop, smoking a cigarette. _~And they used to be lovers…sort of. That's got to be so weird for Levi. Then again, it must be weird for him to be assigned as my protector again. There's still so much I don't know, but I can't expect him to spend all day filling me in.~_

Eren glanced back at the door behind him. Levi was still making phone calls. That reminded him; he still needed to contact his band manager and let him know he was okay. Eren had no idea where he and Levi were going to end up next when they left this place—hopefully some place that wasn't so run down. He had no idea how long he was going to have to remain in hiding. From what little he understood, Levi's agency was working on the investigation of the research organization itself, while Levi's task was to protect Eren and keep him hidden.

Eren sighed and flicked his ashes on the ground. The cigarette wasn't satisfying him. He was usually just a social smoker, but he'd thought it might help his nerves. He was also feeling down because of his situation, and not just because of the way his life had been turned upside-down.

Levi. Eren still wanted him. Every time he looked at the man, his heart skipped a beat. He didn't think he'd get the chance to act on his desire, though. Levi had made it pretty clear that he didn't want to rekindle what they'd once had. Maybe he was afraid…afraid to love and lose again. Maybe he was already with someone.

 _~Maybe he's with his boss Erwin again.~_

The thought made white-hot jealousy spear through him. It shook him, actually. Eren had never been the jealous type before…not really. Then again, he wasn't the commitment type, either. Everything he felt for Levi contradicted the norm for him, and he was getting frustrated. He shouldn't suffer these emotions over someone he'd just met, but he and Levi weren't exactly strangers if they knew each other in a past life.

The front door opened up and the object of Eren's desire stepped out. "Oh, you're smoking."

Eren looked up at the agent, and then he glanced at his cigarette a little guiltily. "Yeah. I needed to calm my nerves, but it's not doing anything for me."

"Then you should drop the habit," suggested Levi. "You never smoked in the previous life. I'm surprised you'd be stupid enough to take up the habit in this one."

Eren smirked. Maybe if he ditched the habit as Levi suggested, he'd have a chance with him. Then again, maybe he was just grasping at straws. "Would that please you? If I quit smoking?"

Levi appeared for a moment as if he'd been stricken over the head. Then he narrowed his eyes as if seeing something beyond Eren's sight. "What you choose to do is your business. Here, you wanted to call your friends, right? Use my phone. I've already entered my passcode and turned off auto-sleep so it won't turn off on you before you can make your call. You'll get a new one of your own when my associate arrives with some of the things I requested."

Eren put the cigarette out by flicking the cherry off and stepping on it. Knowing now that Levi was kind of a neat freak, he didn't dare toss the butt on the ground, but instead kept it on him to dispose of in the trash. He stood up and he took the phone gratefully from the smaller man, nodding at him.

"Thanks, Captain."

Levi leaned back against one of the wooden columns supporting the porch's overhang. "I'm not a captain in this life, you know. There's no rank for it where I work now. I'm simply an agent."

"Oh." Eren hadn't even consciously addressed him that way. It just seemed to come naturally to him. "So you have no commanding rank?"

"I wouldn't say that." Levi shrugged. "I'm a SAC."

Eren blinked. "You're a…sack?"

"It's an acronym," explained Levi. "It stands for 'Special Agent-in-Command'."

"I see. Sorry, I don't mean to keep calling you 'Captain'. I guess it just stuck with me."

"Don't sweat it." Levi shrugged. "Erwin's official title is 'Director', but I still think of him as a commander in my head. The rank statuses are basically the same as what we had in the previous life, regardless of title."

Eren looked down at the phone in his hand. "Can I just ask you one more thing before I make this call?"

"What is it?"

He looked down at the shorter man as he joined Levi on the porch, and he searched his eyes. "You gave us your real name when you came back stage. Not just me, but all of us. If you're undercover, shouldn't you be going by an alias? You probably shouldn't have even told _me_ your real name, in case an enemy does get their hands on me."

"Tch, you watch too many spy movies." Levi leaned back against the wall again and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes, we're usually required to use an alias at nearly all times. Only our coworkers and direct family are supposed to know our true names. However, when it comes to a client we intend to protect, it's permissible and even encouraged to give our true names—particularly if that client comes to us seeking agency protection. It's for confirmation purposes. Ordinarily we're supposed to let the client call the agency to confirm it, before we take them anywhere. I didn't have the time to do that, though."

"But…my band members aren't your clients," reasoned Eren, "and you told them your real first name."

"Mitigating circumstances." Levi looked off at the trees in a pensive manner. "One amongst them recognized me, and she already knew my name before I even gave it. I'm not sure how tight-lipped Mikasa is, but I made a judgment call. Besides, odds are they're going to become clients as well."

Eren frowned. "What does that mean?"

Levi met his gaze levelly. "It means that because of their association with you and your sudden 'disappearance', they could become targets. The enemy could try to get to you through them, if they think your band mates and manager might know where you are. The same goes for your immediate, surviving family."

Eren's eyes widened with horror. "Mom…"

"I've already got her home under surveillance," assured the agent. "I set that up before I even went to retrieve you, Eren. Mrs. Jaeger has an agent watching over her and her residence at all times, so don't worry about her."

Eren relaxed somewhat. "What about my band?"

"Right now they aren't in the red zone," explained Levi, "but you should still advise them to hire additional security—particularly around their places of residence."

Eren nearly asked why Levi had never sought him out before, given their past life history. He decided not to, because he was afraid the answer would be that Levi simply wasn't interested in reuniting with him. He'd been assigned to him. He hadn't chosen to seek Eren out of his own free will.

"Thanks," said the singer at last, resisting a sigh. "I'll call Armin now."

* * *

"Eren, thank God you're all right! Where are you?"

Eren looked around cluelessly. "Uh…somewhere outside the city. I really don't know and I'm pretty sure Levi would say not to tell you, even if I did."

"So he hasn't done anything to you?" pressed Armin. "Does he know who those people were that tried to assault you?"

"No, he hasn't done anything to me and yes, he seems to know more about my situation than I do." Eren sighed and he got his half-smoked cigarette out of his pack and he lit it back up. "He's some kind of secret agent, and he's been assigned by his agency to protect me from these people. I don't understand it, but apparently there's some kind of science organization that wants me for my DNA."

"Really? That's strange. I've been imagining some rich, crazed fan has been hiring people to kidnap you for…er…other reasons. You certainly get enough admirers for that to be a possibility."

Eren chuckled. "Your reasoning makes more sense than mine did. I thought our music pissed someone off enough to try and break up the band by getting rid of me. That's a pretty arrogant assumption, thinking our music is actually important enough to drive someone to that point."

"Well, you never know," reasoned Armin. "Other musicians have been attacked or killed in the past by either obsessed fans or people that just plain hated them, for whatever reason. I just never dreamed it was someone wanting to experiment on you. Did that agent say what's so special about your DNA to get these people after you?"

Eren hesitated. He didn't even fully understand what Levi had told him about the coordinate, and it sounded like something out of science fiction. He believed the man, but he doubted Armin would accept the explanation. "It has something to do with biological weapons," he answered truthfully enough. "I guess there's something in my genetics they've been looking for."

"Well how do they even know that?" persisted Armin. "How would they find out?"

Eren shrugged and he took a drag from his cigarette. He couldn't tell Armin that Levi suspected someone that knew him from a past life worked for the organization that was trying to get him, so he went with the other possibility mentioned by Agent Ackerman. "Beats me. The cap—er, Levi thinks they've got undercover agents working in hospitals and doctor's offices, and they report it if they find whatever it is they're after in any blood samples. He's going to have Dr. Zoë's staff looked into."

"Interesting." Armin sighed. "I suppose this means we need to end the tour prematurely. Mikasa believes you'd be safest with this Levi person until these kidnappers get caught, and by the sounds of it, that could take a while."

Eren sighed as well. "Yeah. He made me toss my phone and he says someone is going to meet up with him here to bring me a secure one and some other stuff. I don't know how long we're going to be where we're at now. Armin, have you or any of the others called the police yet?"

"No," answered the band manager. "But believe me, I wanted to. Mikasa convinced me to wait, because the police would just tell me you'd have to be missing for twenty-four hours before they'd file a missing person report. I'm glad you finally called me, Eren. Tell me something though; what agency does this guy your with claim to be working for?"

"He said it's the UFI: the United Federation of Intelligence."

"Hmm. I don't suppose he gave you his real name? I'd like to look up their contact information and confirm this."

"Uh, actually, his real name _is_ Levi," replied the singer. "Levi Ackerman."

"Levi Ackerman?" repeated Armin. "Are you sure? It seems strange to me that a special agent would go around telling people his true name, if he's supposed to be undercover. It's also odd that he shares the same surname as Mikasa."

Eren smirked. "I thought the same thing, but Levi says because I'm now a client and you all could be too, he chose to give his real name. I guess 'Ackerman' isn't such a rare name. Go ahead and check with them if it makes you feel better, Armin. I trust him, but I don't want you to worry about me."

"Oh, I will," promised Armin, "and you need to contact me on this new phone he's supposedly getting for you, so that I have the number. I'm saving this number you've called me from, by the way."

"I'm not a bit surprised." Eren smiled, but his smile faded as the direction of the conversation reminded him of what Levi said earlier about his friends and family being in possible danger. "Armin, I think you all need to bump up security…and I mean personal security. I don't want to alarm you or sound paranoid, but there's a chance these people might come after you guys if they think you might know where I am. What have you told the press, if anything?"

He was sure something about their last concert must have made the news by now, and Armin surely must have cancelled their next scheduled show—which would have raised questions as well.

"Don't worry about the press," said Armin. "I've been handling them. I also surmised already that we all might need additional security. I've contacted an agency already, but I doubt they're as pro as your Levi—if he is who he says he is."

Eren blushed over his friend referring to the agent as "his Levi", and he was glad that Armin wasn't there in person to see it. "Well, Levi says that if they have reason to believe you guys are under serious threat, his agency will probably have their own people watching you. He says he's already got someone watching my mom, too."

"I guess we'll find out," sighed Armin. "Just be careful, okay? I'm not just saying that because you're the front man of the band, either."

"I know. You be careful too, Armin." Eren looked up at the front porch when the door opened and Levi stepped out. "Look, I'd better go. I think Levi needs to make more calls."

"All right. Just get back to me again as soon as possible, and keep me updated. I'll let you know how it turns out with me checking in on that guy's agency. I'll let the band know you're okay."

Eren shrugged. He already knew in his bones how that was going to turn out, but Armin could be a rather suspicious individual, so he humored him. "Okay. Say hi to everyone for me. Talk to you later, Armin."

* * *

Levi took the phone from him when Eren offered it back. "So what did your friend say?"

"He doesn't trust you," answered the singer bluntly with a little smirk. "He wants to check with your agency to be sure you really work for them."

Levi nodded, unsurprised. Of course Arlert would want to do that. Always using his head, that one. Eren on the other hand tended to allow emotions to rule him. "Don't you want to call them and check, yourself?"

Eren put out his cigarette again, and the smile he gave Levi was faintly flirtatious. "Do you think I should?"

Levi lowered his gaze to the phone, and he started going through his contact list. "I would. It would be the smart thing to do." He glanced up as Eren ascended the stairs to join him on the porch. "For all you know, everything I've told you is complete bullshit and I just lured you out here to secure you for your enemies myself. Maybe they're offering a reward for whoever brings you to them."

For a brief moment Eren looked uncertain, but then he shook his head and he stared at Levi with confidence. "You wouldn't do that."

"Are you so certain?" Levi kept a straight face as he said it, but now he was just teasing Eren…and flirting back, damn it. "Your leather-wearing ass could fetch a pretty handsome price, given how many times they've tried to get you. Your band mate Connie suggested it's happened more than twice. Maybe I'm just trying to make a profit by getting you before their goons can."

Eren chuckled softly. "Yeah? Shouldn't you have me tied up or something, then?"

Levi's eyes narrowed on him, but not in anger. The reaction was purely due to the clarity at which he could imagine Jaeger tied securely to the bed with his shirt ripped open and his impressive endowments exposed. "Don't tempt me."

Eren's winning, flirty smile faded, to be replaced by an expression of naked desire. Levi swallowed as the singer's beautiful green eyes held his and Eren started to lower his mouth to his. Evidently he recognized Levi's slight change of expression for what it was, and the agent stood motionless, his pulse quickening.

 _~Don't just stand here and let him kiss you again, idiot. That's only going to lead to trouble.~_

"Levi," said Eren huskily, his breath tickling the smaller man's sensitive skin.

It was then that Levi's brain fart faded, and he spoke in a low murmur. "Your breath stinks of cigarette smoke, and I'm not here with you for a fuck, Eren." His voice sounded much calmer and more dispassionate than Levi felt.

The candid statement seemed to snap Eren out of his romantic swoon, and the singer blinked. For a moment, there was a spark of hurt in his eyes and Levi knew he'd been stung by the rejection. "Yeah…right. Sorry. I keep forgetting you aren't capable of human emotion."

With that said, Eren went inside without looking back. Levi sighed, and he leaned against the porch railing with his arms crossed over his chest. He knew Eren was just lashing out because his feelings were hurt, but Levi had to admit the accusation stung a bit. Levi shut his eyes, and he wondered how long he could keep up the professional integrity with Eren. He shook his head to clear it after a moment, and he looked down at his phone again to find Eld's contact number. After selecting it, he brought the phone to his ear and he waited for the other agent to pick up.

"Hey boss," said Eld when he picked up on the other end. "I was just about to call you to clarify your directions. I've been driving back and forth on this road for ten minutes, and I haven't spotted any shacks like you described."

"Probably because the trees around here obscure the view of the place," reasoned Levi. He looked around with narrowed eyes. "There's a…big willow tree right in front, next to an old well."

"Oh. Shit, I must have driven past it about four times already, then. I'll turn around and come back."

"All right. I'll walk out to the road and look for you. See you in a few minutes, Jinn."

* * *

Eren was doing a sub-par job at sweeping the living room when he heard a new voice outside the front door, conversing with Levi. He paused and listened, guessing it must be the colleague that Levi had mentioned.

"You gave them _all_ your real name? Why would you do that?"

Levi's voice answered evenly: "Because the entire band could end up being our clients. It didn't occur to you to that the BRS might come after them after Jaeger disappeared from public view?"

"Well yes, but…all right, I can see your logic."

Eren frowned, wondering what "BRS" stood for. The door opened, and he hastily resumed sweeping. He glanced up to see Levi looking at him with approval. Beside the captain was a taller man with long blond hair that he kept in a neat ponytail. He wore a sharp black suit and he had a pair of sunglasses propped on the top of his head.

"Good morning," greeted Eren, his inquisitive gaze flicking between both agents, guessing that this must be Levi's coworker.

The blond guy checked his watch. "More like 'good noon', but hello there."

"Eren, this is Supervisory Special Agent Eld Jinn. He's my second in command. Eld, meet Eren Jaeger."

"Eld Jinn?" repeated Eren aloud. "Sounds familiar to me."

Levi, standing just behind and to the right of the blond man, gave Eren a bare shake of his head and a warning look that told Eren he shouldn't say more.

 _~Later,~_ Ackerman's eyes seemed to say.

"Nice to meet you, Eren." Eld offered his hand with a smile, and Eren shook it. "Now I can say I've shaken hands with a rock star. That's pretty cool."

Eren smiled and shrugged modestly. "Well, this is the first time I've ever hung out with any secret agents. That's pretty cool to me…except for the circumstances."

"Yeah, I'll bet," sighed Eld. "Sorry your life's been turned on its head so abruptly, Mr. Jaeger."

"It's just Eren," insisted the singer. "You don't have to call me 'Mr. Jaeger', sir."

Eld chuckled. "That's fair. You don't have to call me 'sir', either."

Eren smiled again. He liked this guy already, and he'd referred to him as "sir" automatically. He felt respect for Eld, just like he held for Levi. He had the feeling he must have known this guy in his past life too, and he intended to ask Levi about that when they were alone together.

"Now that we've had our introductions," said Levi, "let's have lunch and start packing up."

"Packing up?" Eren dared to hope that they were going to be getting out of this hovel and to a better location. "I thought we'd be here for a couple of days."

"Change of plans," explained Levi. He held up the rolled newspaper in his left hand. "Your boy Armin's on the front page. He must have gotten interviewed by the press last night, and he came through like a champ. As far as anyone else knows, you had an accident and slipped on the steps when you guys were exiting the stage after the sprinkler system went off at your concert. Your tour has been cancelled and you've gone to a private retreat while you're in recovery. That should buy some time before anyone starts asking more questions, at least."

"So we're leaving early because of this headline?" Not that Eren wasn't eager to get out of there, but he wondered why that would prompt Levi to move him to another location so soon.

"Yes. Now that word is out of your 'injury' and the cancellation of your tour, the enemy is going to be looking all over Trost and its surrounding locations for you. That means you need to be somewhere else. Eld has already set us up with a room in a hotel the next town over."

"But what about all those guys in the parking lot?" Eren frowned in puzzlement. "Is there anything about them in the paper? You chopped that one guy's arms half off! Shit like that usually makes the news."

Levi and Eld exchanged a glance, and the taller man shook his head. "The place was completely cleaned up by this morning. The BRS must have come sometime before the police and wiped the evidence. I investigated myself this morning, and there wasn't so much as a speck of blood on the ground."

Eren found it a bit overwhelming how fast things were moving. "Okay, what's the 'BRS'?"

"Bio Research Society," supplied Levi. "That's the organization that's been after you, Eren."

Eld looked at his superior with raised brows. "You didn't tell him that already?"

Levi gave the blond a faintly exasperated look. "I just found out their identity from you this morning, genius, and we've been busy making calls since then. All I knew initially was that it was some research organization."

"Oh. Sorry, boss."

"So nobody knows about the fight at the stadium, and everyone thinks I'm just on vacation," reasoned Eren. "I guess that's better than the alternative. Well, we don't have much for lunch, but maybe we could heat up a few cans of baked beans in a big pot."

"Don't worry about that," Eld said. "I've got a pizza waiting in the van. We might have to warm it up a little though, since it took me longer to find this place than I expected."

"Pizza?" Eren immediately began to drool. "I think you're my new best friend."

* * *

Eren's doctor was indeed the same Hange that Levi had known from the previous life. Eld had pulled up the file on his laptop that he was building on her and he showed it to Levi in the van, before they'd gone inside for introductions. As they ate, Levi silently started mapping out plans to make his way up to Tarsus Valley with Eren. Eld had already contacted their branch in that city to have the good doctor's place of business watched and for a list of all employees there to be made for further investigation. Levi thought it also couldn't hurt to have Reiner Braun profiled. He was probably just an ignorant roadie in this life, but the bastard had tried to kidnap Eren in the previous life and Levi didn't trust him.

"Eren," Levi said after sipping his tea to wash down his food, "what are the chances that any of your crew besides your band witnessed what happened after that concert?"

Eren shook his head. "Probably not very high. The tour bus driver might have seen it, but most of the roadies ride in a different bus. I think they were already on the road to our next gig location when it happened."

Levi and Eld exchanged another glance, silently communicating with each other. "Eld, did you bring the secured phone for Eren?"

"Yes sir." Eld reached into his blazer to pull out a brand new smart phone, and he handed it across the table to Eren. "Here you go. You'll have to manually enter all your contact numbers, but our provider is a private company contracted with our organization. All of your information will be secure, and if you ever lose it, there's face recognition software on it and a passcode to unlock it. If anyone other than you tries to enter that passcode, the software will automatically erase all personal data. Nobody can get your information off of this; not even us."

Eren put down his slice of pizza and he wiped his hands off before taking the offering. "Wow, thanks. How does it recognize my face?"

"The selfie-cam," explained Agent Jinn. "It activates when you turn on the power or take the phone out of sleep mode. The only downside to this setup is that you've got to unlock it to use it every time it goes to sleep. It's a necessary evil, though. Here's your pre-generated passcode and charger, Eren."

Eld handed over the charging cord and a little card with a scratch-off gray adhesive covering up the number sequence at the bottom of it. "Memorize that and then destroy the card, okay?"

"All right." Eren started to reach for his wallet to get out a coin, but then he recalled that he didn't have it with him. He'd left it on the tour bus. "Um, can I borrow a coin? Sorry, I literally had nothing with me except the clothes on my back when we left."

"Sure." Eld got out his wallet and procured a coin from the side pocket of it. "Oh yeah, we'll have to stop off at headquarters to generate a new photo ID for you, too."

Levi nodded. "Yeah, you can't go around using your real name while you're dark. Think up a first and last name to go by for a while, Eren. By the way, my alias is Falke Hulcher. You need to memorize that and address me by it in public, from now on. Also, when you call your friend Armin make sure he knows what your alias is and tell him to use that as his contact name for you."

"Got it." Eren turned on the phone, and it immediately took him into setup. When it got to the name screen, he scratched his head with his other hand. "Uh…I'm not sure what to start calling myself."

"Just think of something that you think would have suited you, if you'd been born under a different name," suggested Eld.

"But don't make it sound close to your real name," cautioned Levi.

"Okay. Um…Jake?"

Levi shrugged. "I suppose I could see you as a Jake. Now come up with a surname."

Eren frowned in thought. "I dunno. You think of something. I can't think of anything."

Levi considered him quietly for a moment. "Murphy. That's about as far from 'Jaeger' as I can imagine."

"Murphy it is, then." Eren entered the name, and he moved on to the next step.

"You should call Armin as soon as you finish setting that up," instructed Levi. "Make sure he knows to tell the others not to mention what happened after that concert to anyone save each other, got it?"

"Yes sir, I understand." Eren worked through the menu until he'd completed the setup, doing it one-handed while eating his pizza with the other hand. He finished the slice just after completing the phone setup, and he jumped a little when the selfie camera clicked as soon as he hit "finish".

"That couldn't have been a very good picture," muttered the singer.

Levi smirked, imagining the startled looking picture resulting from the unexpected snapshot. "You can manually take a different selfie and choose that one as your profile picture, if it really bothers you. It's under 'security settings'. It just did that because once activated, it's programmed to immediately take a snapshot of the user to have the face saved to the database."

"Oh." Eren relaxed. "Now it wants me to enter my passcode. Let's see…" He scratched off the adhesive strip on the card to reveal the number sequence beneath, and he entered it.

 _"Welcome, Jake Murphy,"_ greeted a tinny, feminine voice from the phone. _"Would you like for me to run a tutorial now?"_

"Er…" Eren stared dumbly at the device, clearly at a loss.

"Just answer the question," said Levi.

Eren shrugged and he brought the phone close to his mouth. "No thank you?"

 _"Very well,"_ answered the phone, _"You can always view the tutorial under the options menu later. Have a pleasant day."_

"Thanks," answered Eren impulsively. He smiled at Levi and Eld. "Awesome! I have a phone I can _talk_ to!"

Levi smirked. "Just wait until the damned thing starts backseat driving. ' _Turn left at the next street. You failed to turn left. Please turn left at the next street'_. It's really fucking annoying. I ended up disabling the voice when I have to use the navigation application."

Eren laughed. "So it can get a little mouthy. I'll keep that in mind. Excuse me while I go and make this call."

He got up and left the kitchen area to step outside. Eld watched him go, and then he turned his head to regard Levi. "He seems like a nice guy. Really down to earth, for a celeb."

Levi nodded. _~He always has been. Damn, that laugh. I hardly ever heard him make such carefree sounds when I last knew him.~_

Eren's laughter made Levi ache, but not in an entirely unpleasant way. It served as a reminder to him that in this life, the kid had experienced none of the tragedy he'd suffered through in his last one. Levi was grateful for that.

He heard a sound in the distance that caught his attention in mid-bite, and Levi paused. He looked at Eld, and the blond looked at him. "Helicopter," Levi identified aloud. It was getting closer. "Shit."

"Better get him back inside, boss," suggested Eld.

Levi was already up and heading for the front door.

* * *

"Yeah, so make sure you tell the others, Armin. Oh and hey, could you text me everyone's contact info, while we're on the subject? I only have yours memorized."

"Okay, Eren," said the band manager. "I'll be sure and do that. Oh, and I've already checked with that agency. Levi is legit. It seems you were right about him."

Eren smirked. "Told you so."

"Can you blame me for wanting to be sure?" demanded Armin.

Eren shook his head. "No, I guess not."

He paused and he peered up at the sky as he heard a chopper heading his way. "Ah, I should let you go for now, Armin. It's about to get noisy. There's a helicopter flying my way. Hey, thanks for handling everything while I'm out of commission. I think we should give you a raise."

"A raise would be nice," chuckled Armin, "but you're my friend, Eren. I just want you to be careful and come back to us in one piece, when this is all over."

"I'll do my best," promised Eren. "Don't forget to text me those contact numbers. Take care, Armin."

"You too, Eren."

No sooner did Eren hang up the phone than Levi came charging out of the house. Eren blinked at him owlishly as the captain came up to him and grabbed his arm.

"Into the house, Jaeger. Now."

"Why?" Eren resisted Levi's tug. "What's the emergency?"

"There's a chopper coming, that's why."

Eren looked up at the sky again, where he could see the helicopter flying over the trees, heading their way. "But…it just looks like a news chopper. Where's the danger?"

"The danger is in you being spotted, idiot," snapped Levi. "Even if it's just a news helicopter, they have cameras. If you get spotted and filmed even in passing, the enemy could see it and divulge our location. Let's avoid that risk, shall we?"

Eren still thought Levi was being a bit paranoid, but he bowed to his wisdom and allowed himself to be guided back into the shack. Eld was apparently thinking along the same lines as the smaller agent, because he had a gun drawn and he was squatting by the window in the living room, when they came back inside.

Eren blinked at the blond man. "Wow, you guys don't play around, do you?"

"When you're in this business, you learn to be suspicious of everything," muttered Eld. "Right, boss?"

Levi nodded. "Right. That's what keeps us and our clients alive. Eren, go into the bedroom and stay away from the windows, understand?"

Eren nodded and did as he was told.

* * *

The chopper turned out to be exactly what it looked like; just a news helicopter passing over the area. It circled around and came back, and then it flew back to Trost. Levi guessed it was probably filming the area weather for the forecast tonight. He let Eren come out of the bedroom, and he retrieved the pair of haircutting scissors he'd requested from the case that Eld had brought him, along with a comb.

"All right Jaeger, there's one thing left that we should do before we pack up and stop by headquarters. Get a towel from the linen closet and have a seat in one of the chairs in the kitchen."

Eren paused in mid-step in the hallway, and he looked at Levi suspiciously. His gaze went to the scissors in the smaller man's hand. "What's this about?"

"A haircut," explained Levi patiently. "Altering your appearance even a little will help to keep the enemy off your ass."

"I…have to cut my hair?"

Levi held up the scissors. "No. I'll do it."

Eren sighed, and he reached up to touch his thick brown locks. "Great. How short?"

"Don't worry, kid. I won't give you a buzz cut. I'm just going to get rid of the length in the back. The top and your bangs could use a little trim, but otherwise it's fine."

Eren didn't look any happier, but Levi really didn't care. The singer dutifully retrieved one of the towels from the linen closet and he followed Levi into the kitchen. Eld was outside, packing what little cooking ware and food they had into the van. He came back in just as Eren sat down, and he watched quietly as Levi draped the towel around Eren's shoulders, before filling a bowl with water to dip the comb into.

"Relax, this will be painless," assured Levi as he began to comb Eren's unruly hair into place. He resisted a smirk as Eren fidgeted nervously, reminded of when he was still a teenager. Levi dipped the comb into the water again, and he circled around behind Jaeger to run it through his hair. He slid his first and second fingers through the length of it to capture it, and he began cutting.

* * *

As much as Eren hated having his hair chopped off, he had to admit that Levi's touch was more than a little pleasant. Each time he ran the comb through his hair and each time his fingers touched the nape of his neck, it made a tingle shoot through him. Before he knew it, he was enjoying the grooming more than expected. His eyes drifted shut with pleasure, until the smaller man came back around to the front and stood straddling his loosely parted thighs. Eren opened his eyes to look up at the agent, and he found himself staring at Levi's clavicle and the top part of his chest, tantalizingly exposed to view through the v-shaped opening at the top of the captain's white button-up shirt. In fact, he could see the outline of Levi's nipples through the material as the captain began to perspire and the shirt started clinging to him. It was terribly distracting.

 _~I keep calling him "Captain" in my head,~_ Eren realized in a daze, unable to tear his eyes off of that teasing bit of flesh he could see. There was something sexy about it. The unbuttoned portion of the shirt revealed just enough to inform the viewer that Levi had a hot physique, without giving it all away.

Levi slipped his free hand beneath Eren's chin to guide his head back a little, and Eren met those fathomless, sleepy gray eyes. His pulse quickened as they stared at one another for a moment, before Levi began to trim a little off his bangs and the top layer of his hair. His fingers sifted through Eren's locks in a sensual manner before each snip, and to the singer's enamored mind, it felt like a lover's touch. He nearly blurted out that it felt good, but he reined himself in and he remained silent as Levi proceeded with the finishing touches.

* * *

The room felt like it was getting warmer. At first Levi thought it was just due to the day reaching its hottest temperature, but the air conditioning unit in the living room window was about the only decently functioning thing in this place. He grimaced as he started to perspire, and he undid another button on his white shirt. It then began to dawn on him that the heat he was feeling was due in part to the way Eren was looking at him. Those fantastic green eyes of his stayed locked on Levi's face as the agent carefully evened out the layers of Eren's hair. He met the singer's gaze again, and his lips parted. There was no mistaking the quiet message in those eyes. Eren wanted him and God help him, Levi felt the same.

Disconcerted by how strong the attraction between them was—though not particularly surprised—Levi did his best to keep his touch platonic. He knew he was failing when he couldn't help but run his fingers through those soft brown locks. He didn't even react when Eren's hands settled on his denim-clad hips, and he completely forgot that Eld was standing in the same room. He moved a little closer to Eren on the pretext of needing to see what he was doing to trim the top-back side of his hair. He could feel the taller man's breath against his chest, and his groin started to react shamelessly. Eren's hands started stroking his hips, and the flutter of exhaled air coming from his mouth quickened with obvious excitement.

Realizing that he was just a short step away from straddling Jaeger's lap, Levi finished up and he stepped back, putting the scissors down on the table. He cupped Eren's face to inspect his handiwork, and a wave of aching nostalgia came over him. Though older now with the handsomely matured features of an adult, Eren looked so much like he remembered him.

"There," murmured Levi. "Perfect."

He released Eren's face and he stepped further back, putting more distance between the two of them. Levi jerked his chin in the direction of the hallway. "Go and have a look in the bathroom mirror, Jaeger. I think you clean up nicely."

Eren looked kind of stupefied. His arms had dropped back to his sides and he stared up at Levi with a look of aching desire. When the agent crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow, Eren seemed to shake himself out of it. "Uh, right. Mirror. Sure."

Levi resisted a sigh as he watched Eren get up and go. Christ, he'd only been reunited with the brat for around forty-eight hours, and already he could barely keep himself from jumping his bones. Eld came up to him to speak softly to Levi.

"Hey boss, it's not really my business, but is there something going on between you two?"

Levi felt a little jolt of alarm, and he nearly blushed. He brought himself under control and he glanced up at his subordinate with a calm expression. "What do you mean?"

Eld shrugged, and he absently reached back behind his head to tighten the band holding his ponytail secure. "Well, I couldn't see your face, but it looked to me like Eren was crushing hard on you. Also—not to sound perverted or anything—but that was a pretty hot barbering. What I mean is that there was some serious chemistry and—"

"Oi!" Interrupted Levi. Now his cheeks were definitely heating up. "It's not like I gave him a fucking lap dance, you smutty-minded shit. I just cut his hair. I don't know what you're getting at."

Eld wasn't particularly intimidated, used to Levi's outbursts by now. "You came damned close, sir."

Levi compressed his lips and he glared at the taller agent. "Just how much porn do you _watch_ , Jinn? I didn't touch anything except his hair, and I wasn't gyrating. Your imagination is running away with you."

Eld made an expression between a grin and a grimace. "I knew you'd get pissed, but I'm just calling it like I see it. That guy has a thing for you. Oh and uh…by the way, sir…" He cleared his throat. "You can see your nipples through that shirt. That and the fact that you've got the top three buttons of it open couldn't have helped with the situation. Ahem."

Levi looked down at himself, and he went mute for a moment with the realization that what Eld said was true. He might as well have just shoved his chest in Eren's face and told him to lick it.

 _~What the fuck…am I_ trying _to make something happen, without even noticing it?~_

"I'll change," said Levi flatly, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Keep packing up essentials. Eren and I are going to need them. And get that stupid notion out of your head, by the way."

Eld covered his mouth on a smirk. "Whatever you say, boss. Personally, I think you could use a good lay."

Levi ignored the man's smug, knowing look and he went to his bag to snatch up a different shirt. He went into the bedroom to change into it and he practically slammed the door behind him. He leaned back against said door, and he closed his eyes. He hadn't even been with anyone in this life. Not once. The memories sinfully clung to him like kudzu vines. He couldn't be rid of them…not the ones of Eren, or of Erwin. Nobody else could ever compare to either of them, and for all this time, Levi had relied solely on himself to satisfy his needs because he could not bear the disappointment of a meaningless coupling. Nobody could measure up to either of his lovers in his past life, in his mind.

"Why the hell have I been doing this to myself?" he muttered softly.

But the answer was an unavoidable truth; he was still loyal to the only two men he'd ever fallen in love with. One was a calculating control freak, and the other was a sweetly romantic idiot. The latter of the two was in the bathroom just one door down, and Levi knew that all he had to do was say the word to get him into bed.

"Don't do it," he hissed under his breath, putting a hand against his forehead as he bowed it. "Just don't."

Never mind that he'd spent most of this life thinking of Eren, wondering if he'd been reborn as Erwin had. Never mind that he often woke up with messy bedsheets that were caused in part by revisited memories in his dreams of their past encounters. It wasn't good for his heart or his head to entertain thoughts of rekindling what they'd had.

With a heavy sigh, Levi started to change out of his inadvertently revealing shirt and into a plain black t-shirt; the last clean shirt he had available to him at this time.

* * *

-To be continued


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: This chapter has been censored to comply with FFnet's restrictions concerning sexual content. You may read the uncensored version at Archive of Our Own, under the same username I use here._

Eren felt an immediate dislike and rivalry toward Erwin Smith, when he was briefly introduced to the man. It was illogical. It made no sense. Despite all that, he inserted himself between the tall blond director and agent Ackerman protectively. He shook Erwin's hand, but his emerald gaze was less than friendly upon him. His tone was short and clipped, and even he couldn't say exactly why he felt so guarded.

"Good to meet you, sir."

Eren's behavior didn't seem lost upon Erwin—or on Levi. Director Smith looked faintly puzzled as he returned Eren's gesture, and he glanced at his agent with a faintly questioning look in his blue eyes. "Likewise, Mr. Jaeger. Agent Ackerman, you've got the go-ahead to direct our client to the photo identity booth. I presume he's already decided on an alias?"

Levi nodded. "Yes sir, he has. Jake Murphy will be the name he's assuming from now on." Levi's cool gaze snapped to Eren, and he grabbed his arm. "Let's go, 'Jake'. You've got a date with the camera."

Eren stumbled as he was practically yanked away, and he sputtered a protest as Levi shoved the office door open and pulled him brutally behind him. "W-wait, slow down! Crap!"

Levi suddenly pushed Eren against the wall in the corridor, and his pale gaze was fairly livid. "Just what in the hell was that, Jaeger?"

"What was what?" blurted the young man in confusion.

Levi jerked his chin in the general direction of the office they'd just exited. "That blatant display of testosterone. You were like a fucking wolf eying a lamb, back there. I thought you were going to rip my boss's throat out."

Eren was a bit startled. Had he been glaring _that_ hard at Erwin? "I…I don't know," he answered honestly. Suddenly, an ache grew in his chest. There was something not quite right…something he couldn't fully recall, but yet he couldn't get over it. He stared down at Levi, and he dared to reach out and caress his face. "I'm sorry. I just felt…protective of you. I don't know why, but that guy seemed like a threat. Levi…I know you said you used to be his lover, but did he ever…hurt you?"

The opaqueness of Levi's expression seemed to shatter, and for a brief moment, Eren could see a glimpse of naked angst in his eyes. Agent Ackerman quickly lowered his gaze, masking the hurt. "In a different life," he murmured softly. "It doesn't matter now, though. Erwin isn't really responsible for any wrongs he did to me back then, understand? I punish him enough for it."

Eren's heart was pounding hard and fast. He'd just seen a glimpse of vulnerability in those shadowed eyes, and he just wanted to hug Levi and hold him tightly. "I'm sorry. I can't remember what he did, but some part of me—"

"Wanted to defend me," finished Levi for him with a humorless smirk. He sighed and he looked back up at Eren. "I get that. I'm surprised you didn't bite your fucking hand, brat."

Eren blinked at him. "Bite my hand? Hey, what's with that, anyhow? Anytime I feel threatened, that's my first instinct."

"Tch, that doesn't surprise me." Levi snorted and looked away, leaning against the wall. "Chewing on yourself was how you used to assume titan form. Must be leftover instincts from your previous life."

Eren was understandably puzzled. "So I'd bite myself to turn into a titan? Wow, what kind of a freak was I, anyway? How in the hell did I manage to get you into bed? I wouldn't sleep with me."

Levi snorted again, and he covered his mouth and shook his head. "You had your charming moments, shit-face. Now come on…let's get this identification business over with. Seems the agency is hooking us up with some special transportation after that, and you'll be issued a credit card under your assumed identity."

Surprised, Eren let himself be pulled along behind Levi. "Couldn't I just make a withdrawal from my bank?"

"Negative," answered Levi. "They could track you with that. Worry about compensation for services later. Our primary concern for now is keeping you alive, safe and untrackable."

* * *

Levi wasn't quite expecting such extravagance. While Erwin had informed him that they were taking extra steps to ensure he and Eren had suitable transportation, he wasn't anticipating a state of the art black caravan. He stood beside Eren staring in bewilderment at the vehicle, while his boss went over the features with him.

"I took your motorcycle into account," explained Erwin. "There is a rack specifically designed for it in the back, behind the sleeping area. If the need arises, you can pull a lever on the console to open the back compartment, which will open the hatch and release it."

"No fucking way," breathed Levi. He was utterly stunned. He looked up at Erwin with a less than blank expression on his face. "This is kind of excessive, sir."

Erwin smirked. "I spare no expense, when it comes to my top agent. Let's go inside for the tour, shall we?"

Levi hesitated for a moment before nodding at Eren. The singer seemed as shocked as he felt. Together, they followed Erwin into the expensive vehicle and the director took them through the driver compartment and through the kitchen area.

"It has everything you'll need on the road," announced Erwin. "Of course, you'll need to stock up on water when you aren't camping somewhere. This is your console area for your computer." He stepped aside and made a gesture at the little desktop area between the bathroom and the bedroom. "I will of course expect full reports each day, Agent Ackerman."

"No shit," muttered Levi. He stared at the towering blond again, completely amazed. "Are you stoned or something? This is pretty costly."

Erwin smirked a little. "Think of it as an investment. If you're going to be protecting a celebrity, you may as well do it with style."

He glanced at Eren and he gave the singer a respectful nod. Clearly uncomfortable, Eren nodded back. "Um, excuse me. I'm just going to step outside for a minute," Eren said tactfully when the two agents stared at one another.

Once he was gone, Levi searched Erwin's piercing blue gaze. "What is this? You're always so tight with company expenses. Why are you pampering me?"

For a moment, Erwin just stared at him. Then he lowered his head to speak into Levi's ear, and he cupped the back of the smaller man's head to keep him from pulling away as he murmured to him. "Call me insane, but from the moment I met you, I've felt a connection. I also can't escape the feeling that I've somehow wronged you in the past, Levi. I'm not a very spiritual man, but I can't deny the feeling that I've known you at some other time, and I feel like I knew Mr. Jaeger as well."

Levi's heart started pounding hard as Erwin pulled back to regard him. "You think we knew each other in a past life, or what?"

Oh God, why was he doing this to himself? Why did he still have to suffer through these feelings he couldn't be rid of?

Erwin nodded slowly. "I do, Levi. I've thought long and hard on it, and I know in my heart that whatever our relationship was, I didn't do right by you. For that, I'm sorry." Erwin cupped the smaller man's chin to tilt his head back, and Levi was too stunned to resist when he pressed his lips against his. "No matter what happened between us, there is one certainty that I can't ignore. I love you, Levi Ackerman."

Erwin pulled away with a softly pained expression, and he nodded at the vehicle's side door, where Eren had recently exited. "He does too. I can't help but notice that."

The terrible ache in Levi's chest increased, and he swallowed. "When did you figure all of this out, you old bastard?"

Erwin chuckled without real humor. "It really wasn't difficult to interpret. Jaeger was rather like a mother bear defending her cub from the moment you introduced me to him. I honestly wondered if he was going to try and tear my jugular out."

Levi couldn't resist a little smirk of pride. "He's a protective brat for sure." His gaze softened on the taller man. "So all of this luxury is out of guilt for something you did in another life?"

Erwin sighed, and he crossed his arms over his broad chest as he leaned back against the wall. "It's a small pittance. I only know that I wronged you at some point, Levi. This surely can't make up for it, but I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me, eventually. You clearly remember things that I've forgotten, and as I said; I've been thinking hard on it since assigning you to this mission. I can't imagine the burden that must place on you. Please, just forgive me for whatever I did. My confirmation came to me when Eren so quickly placed himself between the two of us. I must have done something terrible."

At once, Levi felt like he might choke. Even though neither of his previous lovers had no clear memories of past events, they both sensed it. His anger toward Erwin evaporated, and he reached up to touch his chiseled features. "I've already forgiven you, creep. I'll try not to give you such a hard time, from now on."

Damn it, he still loved the fucker. Erwin's almost boyish smile of relief only made it worse, and the slow sigh that escaped his lips confirmed that he'd been holding his breath. Erwin caught Levi's hand up in his, and he kissed it like a knight courting a lady. It could have been insulting if it weren't for who they both were and what had brought them to this point.

"Thank you, Levi," whispered Erwin, his voice taking on a slightly husky note. "Even if I can never have you again, your forgiveness means more than I can express."

Levi closed his eyes, and he leaned toward the taller man to put his arms around him. "You seriously fuck me up, you giant. You know that, right?"

Erwin chuckled, and he kissed the crown of Levi's dark head. "If I can inspire some fond emotion in you, that's enough for me. Jaeger is the one that will take care of your heart, though."

Levi drew back to gaze up at the director. "Hey, he's my client. I'm not going to do him."

Erwin studied him with a knowing look. "Ackerman, there's no shame in acting on what's in your heart."

Levi growled softly, pushing away from his boss. "What the hell is this, a setup? Between you and Eld, I feel like Eren and I are in some kind of dating game. Hell, there's only one bed in this vehicle. Are you _trying_ to throw me at Jaeger or what?"

"Well, a two-bedroom caravan would have been more costly than I could afford," excused Erwin. He shrugged. "The couch is perfectly serviceable for sleeping needs, should it prove too awkward."

"I really don't get you sometimes," muttered Levi. If Erwin knew he loved him, then why was he basically chucking him at Eren? That didn't seem like him at all. Erwin Smith was a possessive sort…certainly not the kind of man that would encourage Levi to be with another. He saw the truth in the older man's blue gaze, though, when he met his eyes again. Erwin truly felt guilt, and the poor bastard didn't even remember what he'd done wrong to begin with.

"Erwin," sighed Levi, at a loss.

"Being with me clearly didn't make you happy," murmured Erwin. "Perhaps being with him will. That's what I want for you, Levi. Please believe that."

Levi met his gaze once more, and he nodded slowly. "I do. I'm not saying I'm going to take your advice and go for it, but I do believe your intentions are as you say."

Erwin nodded. "Then that's plenty for me." He stepped away from the smaller man, and he graced him with a quiet, handsome smile. "Do what feels right for you, Levi, and keep our client safe. I should go now, before I give into these instincts driving me."

Knowing exactly how he felt, Levi nodded at the bigger man. "I'll keep you updated, sir."

* * *

Eren didn't really know what to say when he joined Levi in the caravan after they loaded his motorcycle into the back compartment. He'd sensed the tension between the agent and his boss, and try though he might, he couldn't completely banish the protective feelings stirring in his breast. Eren kept looking at Levi sidelong as the agent drove their assigned vehicle out of headquarters and onto the highway. He struggled inwardly, wanting to say something but unsure of how to approach the subject of Levi and Erwin. Finally when Levi gave him a faintly annoyed glance, the singer heaved a sigh.

"Are you with him, or what?"

A little frown tugged at the corners of Levi's mouth. "Excuse me?"

"Erwin," clarified Eren softly. "Are you together?"

Levi shook his head. "No."

Eren relaxed a little, though he couldn't banish the feeling that there was some serious chemistry between the two of them. "What did he do to you, exactly? Why do…um…I don't know how to say this, but why do I want to punch that guy's lights out when I've never even met him before?"

"Tch…that's because you're an idiot," stated Levi flatly. He smirked subtly at Eren, though, his gray eyes betraying a hint of warmth.

"Okay, I'm an idiot." Eren tried not to grumble the response. "That doesn't answer my question though, Captain." Levi had already confirmed that Erwin had hurt him somehow in their past life, but Eren felt a burning need to know exactly _how_.

"I think it's better to just let sleeping dogs lie," murmured Levi evasively.

Eren huffed with annoyance, and he shook his head. "No. That isn't good enough. If I'm going to be pissed off at someone for crimes of the past, I want to at least know why I'm condemning them. What did he do to you, Levi?"

Those hooded, pale eyes flicked to him, and for a moment Eren braced himself, expecting a smack or a kick. Instead, Levi spoke softly in a tone of defeat. "You aren't going to drop this, are you brat?"

Eren shook his head. "I'm sorry sir, but no. I really need to understand why I feel such hostility towards him, and since I can't remember myself, I need to hear it from you."

"Fine." Levi checked the electronic navigator and he switched lanes. He kept his eyes focused straight ahead as he enlightened the singer. "As I've told you already, Erwin and I had a sexual arrangement in that other life. He had his women on the side, and I kept only to him until you and I hooked up. Apparently he wasn't as open to sharing me as I was to sharing him. He got jealous."

Eren's hands clenched into fists. "Did he…hit you?"

Levi shook his head. "No. I'd have kicked his ass if he'd tried. He organized a stay-over at a wealthy merchant's house for the three of us. He set it up so that your room connected to ours. He made damned sure you could hear everything when we had sex, and he got rough with me. I could barely walk the next day."

Eren couldn't even attempt to hide the horror in his expression. "Oh my God…Levi…"

The agent kept staring ahead at the road, and he shrugged. "He didn't mean to hurt me, kid. Like yourself, Erwin's not small in the pants and he got a bit carried away trying to remind us both of who had first dibs on me."

Eren struggled inwardly, and a faint memory of hearing Levi's pained cries came back to him. "But still…holy shit!" His eyes began to water, and he hastily scrubbed them with a fist when Levi looked at him. "Did I kill him? I hope I did!"

"Heh…I'm sure you wanted to." Levi's voice was even and controlled, but he reached out spontaneously to ruffle Eren's newly trimmed hair affectionately. "Look Eren, he made a fucking mistake. I've been shitting on him since we first met in this life over that, but Erwin has no recollection of what he did to me. I'm grateful for that. He can be an asshole, but I sure as shit wouldn't have joined his ranks again in this life if I thought he was beyond redemption. We're riding in this fancy-ass thing because of his guilt. I've got to stop holding his past mistakes against him, and so do you. Understand?"

Eren swallowed, awash in a sea of emotions that he wasn't prepared for. To hear Levi speak so casually about being harmed that way by someone he clearly loved and respected made him ache all over. "I don't know if I can let it go that easily, sir."

"Try harder," insisted Levi. "If I can get over it, so should you."

Eren stared at him. "What if our positions were reversed, though? Could you just let it go, after hearing me yelling in pain while…while some guy just…pounded me?"

Levi's calm mask slipped, and for a moment it revealed disconcertion. "You remember it?"

"Just enough," sighed Eren. He shyly reached out for Levi's free hand, resting on the agent's thigh. "It's just a snatch of a memory, but I remember feeling so helpless and upset. I wanted to save you from it."

Levi stared down at the larger hand covering his own, and his lips thinned as if he were conflicted. "Shitty brat," he whispered.

Eren sniffed, feeling the tears coming before he could stop them. He knew the statement wasn't an insult. From Levi, that was a term of endearment. He loved him, and that was the captain's way of saying so. God help him, Eren loved him back. He barely knew him and yet he was positive that he loved this man more than life itself.

"Sorry Captain Levi," husked Eren, trying to regain control of his emotions. "Damn, I'm such a wuss."

Levi sighed in a defeated way, and he removed his hand from beneath Eren's to put his arm around him, practically yanking the younger man into his lap across the seats. "Shut it, Jaeger," his lips murmured against the startled singer's hair. "I'm doomed and now, so are you."

With his face practically smushed against Levi's chest, Eren looked up at him with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. "What does that mean, exactly?"

Levi abruptly took the next exit, and he pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. He put the caravan into park, yanked the parking break on and he cupped Eren's face in his hands. His steely gaze was smoldering on Eren as he held his eyes and spoke in a low, husky tone.

"It means I'm about to ride the fucking hell out of you, shitty brat."

Eren's expression couldn't have been more stupid if he'd tried.

"Oh. Well that's…wow, really?"

Levi's fingers curled into his hair, and his answer came in the form of a searing kiss.

* * *

This was not how he imagined finally giving into his bodily needs…parked on the side of the road in some caravan, getting ready to pound a rock star silly. Then again, Levi hadn't expected to vent those needs on either of his former lovers. As he dragged Eren to the bed in the back of the vehicle and shoved him down on it, a part of him wondered just what in the hell he was doing. It must be Erwin's fault, he surmised. Erwin had given him the green light…encouraged him to go for it. Even now, Levi still followed that blond bastard's orders. Hearing the man urge him to be with Eren seemed to have destroyed what little resistance still remained.

Levi crawled on top of his surprised companion and he lowered his mouth to Eren's for an aggressive, hungry kiss. Eren's bewildered mumbling faded into a groan, and he lifted his hips invitingly as Levi's hands scrambled to unbuckle his belt.

"You sexy little fuck," panted Levi, yanking the leather binding free of its buckle. "Do you know how hard it's been for me to keep my goddamned hands off of you?"

"I…whoa…that's abrupt," gasped Eren, hips jerking in response to Levi's sudden grope. "Easy, Levi…I'm not going anywhere!"

Had he been able to think through his lust, Levi might have been embarrassed by his own vigor. He was simply too damned horny to care, though. He popped open the button of Eren's trousers and he yanked his fly down, his mouth licking and sucking at the younger man's throat.

"I've been a virgin for too damned long," husked Levi.

Eren grabbed him suddenly, his green eyes going round in his face. "W-what? You're a virgin?"

Panting softly with need, Levi straddled the singer's hips and he nearly pouted at him. "Did I stutter? Don't get chivalrous with me now, Jaeger. Pop my motherfucking cherry."

"Wait," gasped Eren, sitting up. He put his arms around Levi to hold him still. "You've seriously never done it before?"

"Not in this life." Levi pulled his muscle shirt off, and he smirked at the way Eren's vivid gaze latched onto his torso. "That's about to change, though."

"I…holy shit, Levi…how could you be a virgin?" Eren's gaze was still round in his face. "I mean have you _seen_ yourself?"

Levi called upon his patience, and he cupped the foolish singer's face in his hands. "I'm fucking picky, Jaeger. I don't just give this ass up to anyone. So are you going to do me, or what?"

Eren couldn't possibly be more bug-eyed than he was now. "I…well sure, but—"

Levi's mouth covered his in an almost brutal kiss. He was on fire, and feeling this brat's body against his again drove him to the breaking point. His fingers curled into Eren's soft brown hair and his tongue flicked against the other man's. His groin was hard and swollen, and he rubbed against Eren's crotch with a needy little moan. To hell with professionalism, and to hell with propriety. Levi had gone without satisfaction beyond his own hands for long enough, and now he had this shitty brat at his mercy again.

"Fucking missed you," he panted against Eren's lips as he unbuttoned the singer's shirt. In his desperation to get Eren undressed, he tore a couple of the buttons off. He ignored the singer's startled protest as the plastic pieces flew off in different directions, but he did pause as he tugged the shirt down over Eren's shoulders. "This is okay, right?"

"I'd be an idiot to say 'no'," breathed Eren. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, and he ran his hands over Levi's torso in a gently possessive manner. "You're sure about this though, right? I want you…God, do I ever want you…but I need to know you really want me too."

Levi stared down at him, and he slowly undid his pants to free his erection. "I'd say it's pretty obvious, wouldn't you?"

Eren's gaze dropped to stare at the flushed, naked evidence of Levi's arousal. Yes, it was very obvious that Levi was in the mood.

* * *

"Man," panted Eren, dropping his forehead to Levi's shoulder. "Oh, man. That was…oh my fuck, I can't remember…ever coming that hard before. Holy shit, Levi."

"My sentiments exactly," wheezed the agent, stroking Eren's hair. "Damn, I missed that."

Eren laughed in spite of himself, and he lifted his head to smile down at Levi. "So was it as good as you remember it being, or better?"

Levi ran his hands over Eren's chest. "Don't let it go to your head, but it was probably a bit better. I guess with age comes more experience." He reached up to curl his fingers into Eren's hair, tugging it warningly. "Just make sure I'm the only one to experience it, from now on."

Eren winced a little, but he was still smiling. "You've got it, sir."

* * *

Their afterglow was unfortunately interrupted by a policeman. Levi was in the process of questioning himself and his decision to bed Eren when he heard the approach of sirens, and he cursed as he jumped out of the bed and snatched up his pants.

"Stay put, Eren," instructed Levi as he wriggled into his jeans. "I'll take care of it."

"Did we park illegally or something?" Eren sat up sleepily and he rubbed his eyes.

"Probably," admitted Levi. "I pulled us over to the side of the road, which technically isn't meant to be more than an emergency stop zone. Someone must have reported us and assumed we were broken down."

"Oh." Eren scratched his left side and he grinned up at the older man with a little wink. "You'd think you were distracted or something."

"Shitty brat," grumbled Levi. He yanked his muscle shirt on, and he reached under the bed for his gun case. "Stay out of sight, just in case."

Eren watched with widening eyes as Levi retrieved the slim firearm from within the case. "Do you really think the local law enforcement could be in on this whole thing, Captain?"

"Probably not." Levi checked the bullet chamber, and then he concealed the weapon in his jeans pocket. "I'm not taking chances, though."

Eren was again reminded that these guys didn't play around. He watched quietly as Levi exited the bedroom area to answer the knock on the caravan door. He listened to Levi's questioning voice when the agent opened it up to speak to the officer waiting outside. He told the man that they'd had a flat tire and just recently changed it out, and he promised that they would be on their way again in a few moments.

"So long as you move your vehicle soon, sir," the officer warned. "You probably should have dialed the road rangers as soon as you broke down."

"I'll remember that if it happens a second time," Levi assured him. "Thanks, officer."

The door shut, and Levi came walking back into the sleeping area with a shrug. "Just as I thought; someone saw us 'broken down' and reported it. I guess I should be more careful when I decide to pull off the road for a fuck, eh?"

Eren chuckled, blushing a little. "You're not shy with your words, are you?"

Levi sat down beside him on the bed, and he cupped the back of Eren's head to kiss him on the lips. "Should I be? The 'damage' is done, brat. I decided a few minutes ago not to stress over it, before that guy showed up. My biggest concern is whether you can follow orders from me after having my ass."

"Of course I can," insisted Eren, face heating even hotter. "I'm not so shallow that I would disrespect you just because we…uh…"

"Fucked," supplied Levi helpfully. He smirked at him, and he shook his head. "Damn, Jaeger…here you are, a sex symbol, and you still blush like a kid. How many times have you been laid by now? Wait, don't tell me. I don't really want to know."

Eren grinned a little sheepishly, and he shrugged. "You're the only lay that matters to me now, Levi."

For a moment, Levi just stared at him…and then he cupped the back of Eren's head again to draw him into another kiss. "Let's keep it that way," he murmured in all seriousness. He reached down to give Eren's sated groin a gentle squeeze through the bed sheets. "I'm the only one that gets this, from now on."

Eren chuckled softly. "You've got it." He slipped his tongue past Levi's parted lips for a lingering, sensual kiss. Like he could even _think_ of sleeping with anyone else, after such an incredible encounter. Nobody could ever possibly compete with Levi Ackerman, and before he even knew it, Eren was sighing a heartfelt endearment against the other man's lips.

"I love you."

Levi paused in his kissing and he drew back to stare at Eren. Realizing the words that had just come from his lips, the singer blushed self-consciously. It was the simple truth, though. Maybe they hadn't known one another for long in this life, but his feelings for Levi were real.

"I mean it," Eren whispered. "I do love you, Levi. I'm sorry if it seems kind of premature for me to say it, but it's the truth. I couldn't change that if I wanted to."

Levi kept staring at him for a couple of heartbeats, and then he lowered his gaze. His hand reached for Eren's to give it a soft squeeze. "You always were a hopeless romantic, you shitty brat."

Eren smiled, knowing that from Levi, such words were as much a declaration of love as they were teasing. He sighed and he rested his head on the other man's shoulder. "And you love me too," he said with shy but certain awareness.

"Tch, you're all right." Levi stroked his hair with the grudging admission. It was probably going to be the closest thing to a declaration of love Eren was likely to get from him, this soon in their rekindled romance. That was fine by him. Levi's actions spoke louder than his words, and Eren knew for sure now that the agent's investment in his safety was as personal as it was professional.

* * *

-To be continued


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: A scene in this chapter has been cut from it to comply with FFnet's censorship policy. You may read the uncensored version on my Archive of Our Own account._

* * *

They'd been traveling on the road for nearly three hours when Levi decided to call Eld. Eren sat in the front passenger seat beside him, sipping a cola and writing down lyric ideas for a new song on the notebook they'd picked up for him at a gas stop.

"Pick up, you shit," muttered Levi, keeping his eyes on the road as he waited for his second in command to answer.

Finally, just before it would have gone to voicemail, Jinn answered the phone. "Afternoon, boss. How is your progress so far?"

"We're getting close to Sunview," answered Levi. "We should be passing through town in another half an hour, by my estimate. Hey Eld, can you cancel the hotel reservation you made for us there?"

"Well sure, but can I ask why?"

Eren was now looking at Levi with wolf-like curiosity in his pale green eyes. Levi shrugged, and he glanced down at the fuel reading on the consol meter. "I've decided to just keep driving and avoid staying in highly-populated areas overnight, if it can be helped. We've got this fancy-ass vehicle to sleep in, and Eren could be recognized if he's seen out and about in any decent sized towns. I'd rather avoid that and just find places between towns to camp in this RV."

"So you're roughing it a bit, huh?" There was a shrug in Eld's voice. "It sounds like a smart plan, though it's a little unusual for you."

"Hey, I've taken a course in outdoor survival," objected Levi, "and I've experienced a lot worse conditions than staying in a mini home on wheels. Trust me. So you'll cancel those reservations, right?"

"Of course. Oh, and we've got people assigned to a covert investigation of Dr. Zoë's clinic in Tarsus Valley. I've pulled up a list of all staff members and we're in the process of going through their record history now."

"Good. Don't forget to look into that roadie on Eren's staff; Reiner Braun."

"Absolutely, sir," promised Eld.

Satisfied, Levi said goodbye and he hung up to replace his phone in his jacket pocket.

"So we aren't stopping for the night in Sunview?" Eren questioned, pausing in his work to look over at Levi. "Sorry to eavesdrop."

"It's fine." Levi glanced over at him, and he checked the clock on the dash before examining the built-in GPS Navigator. "As I said to Eld; I don't want you seen out in public more than you need to be. We'll find a grocery store before we make it into town limits and pick up some supplies, and we'll top-up our fuel. We'll travel until sunset and then we'll find a suitable place to pull off and camp for the night."

"Oh." Eren squinted against the sunlight coming through the windshield, and he reached up to lower the shade. He noticed some of the buttons and switches lining the upper panel and he gazed at them curiously. "Hey, what does this one do?" He pointed at one of the glowing red switches.

"That one gives power to the living cabin behind us."

"Huh. Cool. What about this button here next to it?" Eren started to touch it, and Levi shot him a warning, narrowed glance. "I don't know. Don't touch it. We'll look over the instruction manual and find out when we stop for fuel and groceries, brat. Until then, don't just go poking around messing with things."

Eren smiled a little sheepishly. "Right. Sorry." He watched Levi uncertainly. "You seem kind of…distant now."

Levi met his gaze again, briefly. "Try focused, Eren. This is how I usually am when I'm not distracted by…" He trailed off and left it at that, returning his attention to the road.

"When you aren't distracted by me?" guessed Eren, his smile going sensually crooked.

Levi grunted in acknowledgement.

"You haven't told me where we're heading to," remarked Eren softly. "Are we just touring around the country until the agency tracks down and deals with the people that are after me?"

"Our first primary destination is going to be Tarsus Valley." Levi checked the driver's side rearview mirror before switching to the left lane. "Once we get there, we'll go straight to the UFI headquarters of that branch."

"And what are we going to do there?"

Levi sighed and looked sidelong at him. "You ask a lot of questions, Jaeger."

"Well yeah, I ask a lot of questions." Eren spread his hands, his feathery brown eyebrows lowering a bit with frustration. "My life is literally in your hands right now, Captain. Do you know what it's like to have no control over where you're going or how you'll end up?"

Levi went silent for a moment, and then he favored Eren with an ironic look. "Yes, I do. All right, Eren; to answer your question, UFI headquarters is going to be the safest place for you to be while I do some investigating of my own. They'll put you up in a secured suite that will be guarded by agents at all times. I'm also considering going to your apartment, checking the place for any signs of intrusion and perhaps even collecting any personal belongings you'd like to take with you."

Eren was pacified by the answer. "You'd…do that for me?"

Levi shrugged. "If it makes this hardship a little easier on you to have some of your own things, sure. Write me down a list—including where in the apartment I can locate whatever you've chosen. Just don't overdo it, got it? I can only carry so much shit on my bike and I don't want to be in there longer than I have to be. Also, bear in mind that anything I bring from your apartment is gonna have to be scanned for any bugs. Even if the place looks clean, I'm not taking the chance that any of your shit's got a tracer on it to lead those bastards right to us."

"I understand. I just want some of my clothes and my laptop, I guess." Eren looked down at the notepad in his hand, and he clipped his pen onto it and set it aside with a sigh. "I'm used to writing my lyrics and coming up with tunes on my laptop. I've got a great program on there for it. Oh yeah, my headset would be nice, too. It's got a mic built in and I can record my voice into my music program when I'm composing."

Levi nodded. "Just write it all down. I'd offer the use of my laptop to you, but everything I have on it is work related. If you get too bored, you could browse the net if you like. When we pull over for fuel and groceries, I'll unlock the computer and sign you in on a guest account. It's going to take us a couple of days to reach Tarsus Valley, anyway."

"That's really generous of you." Eren smiled. He was so easily pleased.

"Oh, I should warn you," Levi cautioned, checking the GPS again, "they're going to have to secure your computer once I bring it in. Odds are the enemy already hacked into it. My agency will do a thorough scan for intrusive programs of any sort, and then they'll install our firewall and antivirus programs. Once they do that, your laptop will be secure to use again and nobody will be able to spy on what you're doing—assuming they don't manage to get access to a super hacker skilled enough to get past it. So far we've never had our systems compromised, though."

"Right." Eren nodded. "I don't mind, as long as I can get it back eventually."

"Good." Levi glanced at him. "You're taking all of this well, Eren. I'm…proud of you."

Eren shrugged "I don't know how else I'm supposed to take it. Whining about the unfairness of it isn't going to help, right?"

A tiny smirk flicked at the agent's lips, and he felt a familiar nostalgia. "No, and you were never much of a whiner. Maybe once in a while, and you had your ranting moments, but you never failed to follow my orders and accept your situation. I might have known you would be no different in this life."

"It helps that I have you here with me." Eren scooted off of the passenger seat and he got down on the floor, sitting with his legs crossed.

Levi glimpsed down at him with a confused little frown. "What the hell are you doing?"

Eren smiled and he leaned over towards the driver's seat. He then laid his head in Levi's lap. "Getting closer to you so I can do this."

"Tch…" the agent's right hand came off the wheel, and he reached down with the intention of pushing Eren off. Instead, he ended up stroking his soft, newly styled brown hair. "Like a puppy."

* * *

Eren dozed off in that position, lulled eventually by the feel of his protector's hand gently stroking his hair. Levi let him be, concentrating on the road and programming the navigation system to locate the next stop-off with a grocery store and fuel station. He waited until he pulled off, and then he checked the gray water tank reading to be sure he didn't need to find a place to empty it. Seeing that it was less than a fourth filled, he checked the reading on the fresh water. That, they would need to replenish. He parked the large vehicle as close to the "Sun's Bounty" supermarket as he could, and he shook Eren's shoulder to rouse him.

"Wake up, Jaeger. We're taking our pit stop to get supplies and fuel, now."

Eren came awake with a mumble, and he covered his mouth on a yawn as he lifted his head off Levi's lap and struggled stiffly to his feet. The agent smirked at him a little when Eren winced and stretched, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Maybe the next time you want a nap, the bed in the back would make a more suitable place than on the floor with your head in my lap," suggested Levi. He unbuckled his seatbelt and he cut the ignition. "Come on. Put that cap on that I gave you and lets get what we need."

"Okay," Eren half-yawned. He got into the passenger seat and he retrieved said cap from the dash to cram it over his head. "I feel like I should put on some sunglasses too, but I don't have any."

"You don't want to look like you're _trying_ to hide from anyone," advised Levi, "though it's a bright day and most people wouldn't think anything of you wearing a pair of shades. We can pick up a pair for you inside. Just try to act casual, got it?"

Eren nodded. "Yes sir."

He opened up the passenger door and hopped out. Levi followed suit and he locked up the motor home, before pocketing his keys. "Oh yeah, we should check in that hardware store across the street too for a key-cutting machine. Erwin only gave me one set to this monster, and I want you to have a pair too."

"Good idea, Captain."

Levi cleared his throat, and he leaned close and grabbed hold of Eren's shirt to pull him down and whisper in his ear. "Don't call me 'Captain' or address me by my real name in public, idiot. Remember, I'm Falke Hulcher and you're Jake Murphy. Understand?"

Eren winced. "Sorry. Yeah, I'll do better at remembering that, sir."

"Don't call me 'sir', either," sighed Levi. "As far as anyone else is concerned, we're cousins going on a road trip together, if anyone asks. Just say we're both joining the military next year and we wanted to tour the country before we sign up."

"Oh. Uh, that's going to be awkward if we show any affection, don't you think?"

"Heh, you've never heard of 'kissing cousins'? Anyway, public romantic affection isn't permissible, understood?"

Eren sighed. "That seems familiar to me."

Levi released Eren's shirt, and he looked up at him with a softer expression. "I've been saying it to myself for a while now; the more things change, the more they stay the same."

Seeming to get the subtle hint that Levi didn't like it anymore than he did, Eren relaxed. "I understand…Faulk. Let's do it."

* * *

They picked up some bottled tea plus a box of Levi's favorite black tea bags and an electric teapot, amongst the beverages. They also grabbed some instant coffee, some bottled spring water, orange juice, milk and some soda. Amongst the produce was some bread, lunchmeat, sliced cheese, fresh fruit, carrots, eggs and sausages. Additionally, they selected some cereal, granola bars and a few four-packs of canned goods to stash in their transport's pantry. Levi also had the foresight to pick up shampoo and conditioner, as well as other toiletries plus some basic first aid to flesh out what medical supplies they already had on board. Upon Levi's insistence, an array of cleaning products was included in the shopping cart. Last but not least, they added a couple of umbrellas and a pair of sunglasses for Eren.

After loading up the basic grocery needs onto the motor home, they went back inside to purchase gallons of water to fill up their tanks. Levi explained to Eren as he poured one gallon after another into the correct filter hole. "Erwin tells me there are mobile parks with free water hoses to use, if you rent a space for the night. We won't have to do it this way all the time, but this will do for now. We'll set a couple of these bottles aside to use as drinking water. I'm not drinking hose water."

Eren agreed. "Mom always told me never to drink from a hose. She caught me drinking from the neighbor's hose once when I was a kid and she got onto me. She said the water had all kinds of bacteria in it, because hoses don't filter that stuff out."

"Smart lady. Hand me another one and take this one from me, Jake."

Eren blinked, taking a moment to realize Levi was speaking to him and not some guy that had come up behind them. "Oh…yeah. Here."

Levi chose not to comment on his momentary hesitation. Eren wasn't used to going by an alias, so it would take a little time for him to adjust. At least he wasn't blurting Levi's true name out in public. The biggest problem seemed to be the guy realizing that Levi was addressing him when he used Eren's alias.

"So when did you speak with Erwin?" Jaeger murmured softly, just in case anyone was nearby.

"While you were drooling in my lap." Levi shot a dry smirk his way, and he began pouring the next gallon of water in. "I've roughed it before, but I've never used one of these things and I haven't had time to research it or check the instruction manual. He asked about you, by the way."

"Hmph. What for?" Eren set the empty gallon bottle on the ground and he scowled.

Levi paused, studying him with narrowed gray eyes. "Damn, you really can hold a grudge, Jake."

Eren flushed a little, and he lowered his gaze. "I can't even remember the details. I just know that I—"

Levi stopped what he was doing, and he hopped down from the stool he was on. He placed two fingers against Eren's animated lips and he shook his head in warning. "Shh. I told you, it's in the past. He's trying to help us both and honestly, I might not have gone for it with you if he hadn't encouraged me to. In that light, maybe you should be more inclined to stop making that face each time his name comes up."

Eren closed his eyes. "Sorry. I'm trying. So, what did he ask?"

Levi pulled away and he got back onto his stool to finish what he was doing. "He asked how you were taking it. Look, I don't know what happened after I was out of the picture, but I think he must have formed some kind of comradery with you, eventually. I get the feeling the bastard actually cares about your safety, so try not to act so hostile towards him."

Eren looked properly contrite. "I know I'm being unreasonable. I'll try harder."

Levi understood the lingering resentment Eren held for Erwin better than the singer thought, but he didn't want to dwell on those memories or speak too much of it, for fear that he might trigger a full recollection. Knowing how impulsive Jaeger was, if he had more than a vague flash of those memories he might fly into a rage. They didn't need that.

* * *

After getting supplies, fueling up and making a copy of the camper keys for Eren, Levi powered up his laptop in the living space console and he created a user account for Eren so that if the computer went to sleep, Eren could log back in under his guest account. They then got back on the road. Eren called Mikasa and Armin to update them both on his status, carefully avoiding telling them what their destination was—as advised by Levi. He just reassured them that he was all right and Levi was taking good care of him, and he promised he'd let them know if anything changed.

Levi _did_ have some basic games on his laptop: Solitaire, Mahjong and pinball being the only selection. Eren surfed the web—thanks to the hotspot onboard—for a while before fooling around with those. He visited his favorite music chat forums under new accounts he created with his alias, but he found no new threads interesting enough to participate in them. Finally after playing Mahjong twice and Solitaire three times, he got bored again and he plopped down on the couch to write more lyrics.

"How are you doing back there, Eren?" called Levi from the driver's seat. "Keeping yourself occupied?"

"Trying," sighed Eren. "I've gone back to composing. I've got a good tune in my head, but the lyrics so far suck."

Levi shrugged. "You're in a tight situation. Give yourself some grace and try to relax a bit."

Eren got up from the couch and he approached the front of the vehicle, grabbing hold of the back of the driver's seat to balance himself when they hit a bump in the road. He slid into the passenger seat and he gazed at his companion with admiration. Levi was wearing a plain, black fitted t-shirt that molded to his torso nicely. Eren's gaze roved over the smaller man's helplessly, taking in the contours of his tight-muscled frame. If that sweet, denim-covered little ass weren't seated right now, he'd be tempted to give it a squeeze.

Levi shot him a sidelong look. "What are you staring at?" His mouth quirked the slightest bit at the corner and his eyes flashed cunningly.

"I'm staring at my hot boyfriend," answered the singer unrepentantly.

"Tch. You've got a one-track mind, Jaeger."

Eren chuckled. "I guess so, when it comes to you. Want me to take over driving for a while? I'm sure you could use a rest."

Levi considered the offer, and he shrugged. "All right. Climb on in here and switch with me."

Eren blinked with faint surprise. He hadn't expected Levi to agree so readily, nor had he anticipated switching places without at least pulling over first. "Uh, okay. Shouldn't we pull to the side of the road?"

"Nah. I'm sure you can handle taking over without the bother of doing that. Come on, Eren."

There was something dangerous and exciting in the idea. Eren started to squeeze in as the other man lifted up for him, and the next thing he knew, he was in the driver's seat with Levi in his lap.

"Okay, this is a little awkward," announced Eren, flushing.

Levi deftly twisted around on his lap to straddle him. "Afraid of getting too distracted, Eren?"

Eren leaned to the side a bit to watch the road around his daring companion's shoulder. "Yeah, honestly. I don't want to wreck."

"Horseshit," muttered Levi. He leaned forward to nibble Eren's studded earlobe. "You're more disciplined than that."

"Uh, I don't think I am, honestly," warned Eren, swerving a little. "Levi, please…you're getting me hard."

No joke; he was starting to get a boner and it pressed between the two of them against Levi's crotch. Not only was it slightly embarrassing, it was making it difficult for Eren to concentrate on driving. He wasn't the best driver as it was, used to being chauffeured around by others now that his band was a hit. Levi was just too appealing to him. Eren wanted him again and he started to check the GPS for the next rest stop so that he could see to that urge.

"Mmm, learn to think through distractions," advised Levi softly, even as he traced the shell of Eren's ear with the tip of his tongue. "You're going to need to re-learn that skill for your own good, brat."

"Shit," gasped Eren. He settled one hand on Levi's hip. "That's kind of hard to do with a sexy thing like you in my lap, sticking his tongue in my ear. No fair, Captain."

"Heh. Too much?" Levi sucked on his earlobe, and Eren was both thankful and regretful when his surprisingly heavy weight lifted off of him. Levi wedged himself between the driver and passenger seats, leaving Eren's lap. He glanced down at the tent in the singer's black pants and he smirked. "Doesn't take long, does it?"

Eren sighed. "I guess not. Damn it, now you've got me worked up!"

Levi huffed with quiet amusement. "I'd offer to blow you, but if I did that we'd end up flying off the highway into a ditch for certain."

"Gee, thanks," grumbled the singer. He reached down to adjust his crotch with an uncomfortable wince. "You owe me, Levi."

"Do I, now?" The agent's expression was calm and serene, but there was a wicked twinkle in his gray, sleepy eyes. He patted Eren's shoulder. "When we get past this town and stop for the night, I'll take care of your needs."

"Is that a promise?" Eren practically whined the inquiry. Levi had a way about him that made Eren insatiable.

Levi's expression remained impassive, but his eyes held a promise in them as he nodded. "It is. Just keep driving until sunset and pull off to a proper rest stop once it gets dark. I'll have our dinner ready by then an afterwards…"

He reached down between Eren's thighs and he gave his crotch a meaningful squeeze, drawing a groan from him. "…I'll see to this."

* * *

Levi understood that he had perhaps teased Jaeger a bit too much. He cooked up a basic meal of sautéed mushrooms, onions and some fish filets, and the minute they finished eating, Eren dragged him to the back of the motor home and proceeded to screw his brains out. The two men collapsed in an exhausted heap when Eren finally ran out of steam, and they basked in the afterglow, sweaty and fulfilled.

"At least we have a shower in here."

"Good thing," agreed Levi. "Get up and help me change this bedding, would you?"

Eren nodded, and together they stripped the bed, put the soiled sheets in the little linen closet and replaced them with fresh ones. Eren gazed at Levi with a smitten little grin as the smaller man finished patting down the sheets. Levi glanced at him, and he couldn't resist a little smirk. "What?"

Eren shook his head. "I'm just…happy."

Levi stilled, and he tilted his head a little. He was happy, too. It was a bit startling, actually. He'd spent most of his life in his own personal misery, recognizing some people from his previous existence but unable to fully connect with them, due to their inability to recall things the way he did. Eren, like the others, did not have his memories of that time…but he seemed to be getting some of them back when it came to Levi. It was nice to not feel so…alone. It was even nicer to have Eren back in his life again.

Levi closed the distance between them, and he embraced the taller man's nude form with a little sigh of contentment. Before he knew it, he was laying his head against Eren's chest and listening to his heartbeat.

"I'm…happy too," Levi dared to announce softly. "You always made me happy, you shitty brat."

Eren chuckled, and he stroked Levi's back with one hand, while petting his dark hair with the other. He nuzzled the crown of the smaller man's head. "I'm glad to hear that, sir. I'm glad that I make you happy too."

Levi closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the singer's loving embrace. "Eren."

"Hmm?"

"About this 'baby' thing you keep doing." Levi took his cheek off of his companion's chest and he looked up at his shadowed face, shaking his head. "Don't do that anymore, okay? It's fucking creepy."

Eren laughed softly, his face flushing bashfully as he lowered his bright gaze. "Sorry. I guess I just get caught up in the moment and it's something I've picked up in this life. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, Levi."

Levi squeezed his ass forgivingly. "Just avoid it from now on. Every time you spout that, I'm picturing myself in diapers and it's a turn-off."

Eren's laughter increased in volume, his body shaking with his amusement. "Shit, I didn't think of it that way. I'll try to remember not to say that from now on. Sorry."

Levi pulled away and he grabbed Eren's wrists, drawing him down onto the bed with him. "It's fine. I know that's a popular thing these days. Just don't do it with me."

"Got it." Eren lay half-atop the smaller man, and he rested his cheek against Levi's hard, toned chest as he stroked his abs. "You don't want to shower?"

"Too tired, right now," admitted Levi with a yawn. "We can get cleaned up in the morning. You wore me out."

Eren smiled and he kissed Levi's chest.

* * *

"Okay," Eren grunted the next morning, shoved up tight against Levi in the tiny shower compartment, "I admit it; this wasn't the best idea."

"No shit," grumbled the agent, squirming in his attempts to soap himself down. "So much for your romantic crap, Jaeger. This damned thing isn't big enough for both of us."

"I see that now." Embarrassed by his failure to instigate an intimate bathing moment, Eren bit his lip and he blinked warm water out of his eyes. "Here, I'll step out so you can finish, okay? Sorry. It seemed like a good idea in theory."

Levi smirked at him. "In theory, yes. I'm not quite small enough to fit in here with you, though. I'll make it quick, Eren."

The singer thoughtfully opened the shower door and stepped out, grabbing the towel to drape it around his waist while he waited for Levi to finish bathing. Well, it was worth a shot. He'd overestimated their chances of fitting together in the compact little shower, though. Levi finished quickly and he favored Eren with a brief kiss as he stepped out, naked and dripping. He accepted the fresh towel offered to him as Eren removed his own and got in to finish his bathing.

"I'll get dressed and get the bike ready," Levi called to him. "According to the map, we should be able to stop at a trailer park by nightfall and dump our gray water there. We'll do laundry and refill our fresh water while we're there."

"Sounds good," replied Eren, soaping under his arms. "Hey, do you think we could find a pizza joint between here and there?"

"You and your pizza," grumbled Levi. "Sure. We'll see what we can find, but I'm not making any promises."

* * *

Fortunately for Eren, they did find a place to stop off and have pizza for lunch. He suffered a terrible moment of panic when the girl at the register looked at him with shining eyes and squealed with excitement.

"Oh my god…are you _him_? Are you Eren Jaeger?"

While the singer stood in dumbfounded silence, Levi took control of the situation quickly. "My cousin Jake here gets that a lot. I keep telling him he ought to start doing impersonations. He could make a lot of money, you know?"

The cashier looked between the two of them, and slight disappointment creased her brow. She smiled anyway and she nodded. "He really could. You look just like the singer of 'Remember the Titans', sir. Well, except your hair his shorter"

Eren gave a start when Levi nudged him, and he shook himself out of his moment of stupidity. He smiled at the girl and he spread his hands. "I hear that a lot. Maybe it's something I'll look into, sometime."

Once they got their pizza and got back into their vehicle to eat at the folding table, Eren found himself very self-conscious. He could feel Levi's cool gaze on him as he pulled a slice free and put it on his plate.

"Hey, I didn't purposely draw attention to myself, you know."

Levi nodded, and he took a slice for himself and sprinkled some dry red pepper flakes over it. "I know that. It wasn't your fault, kid."

Eren peeked at him. "You seem upset about it, though." Not that Levi's emotions were particularly advertised; it was difficult to tell what he was thinking or feeling, outside the bedroom.

"It isn't directed at you," ensured Levi. He kept his eyes on his food as he lifted the slice to his lips, and he regarded it thoughtfully. "I'm just beginning to wonder if a hair trim is going to be enough. You can't even seem to visit a rest stop without the risk of someone recognizing you."

Eren shrugged. "Then what do you want me to do? Go bald? Wear a false mustache? Dye my hair?"

Levi nearly choked on the bite of pizza he'd taken, and he shook his head as he chewed and swallowed it. "Don't be a dumbass. It's not extreme enough to warrant that sort of thing…yet. I just think from now on, it might be better for you to stay inside the camper when we make stops and leave me to pick up whatever we need."

Eren frowned, disliking the idea for obvious reasons. "So my life from now on is going to be inside of this little motor home? I can't even step out for fresh air?"

Levi met his gaze, and he frowned. "I know it sucks, Eren. It's unfair…but when we go to public places, it might just be for the best that you stay hidden from view. You're obviously too recognizable. I'll do my best to make our next stop some camping site away from populated areas, so that you can step outside and stretch your legs a bit more. I'm not trying to make you miserable."

Eren's gaze softened on the other man, and he gave him a slightly rueful smile. "I know that, Levi. You're just trying to keep me safe. I appreciate your efforts. It's just hard for me. I'm used to being able to go out and socialize, not staying hidden away in a little camper."

Levi took another bite of his pizza and he nodded in understanding. He washed it down with some iced tea before answering the singer. "At least you've got the sense to realize it's for your own safety. My agency's going to do whatever they can to detain all persons involved in these attempts against you, even if it means bringing that research organization to its knees. You've just got to wait it out and stay safe until then, Eren."

Eren nodded in acceptance, though he sighed around his bite of pizza. Staying out of the public eye was going to be a difficult thing to adjust to.

* * *

After a couple of day's travel, they arrived in Tarsus Valley. Levi parked the RV in an appropriate lot, and he opened the back hatch to get his motorcycle out. He gave Eren the spare helmet, though Levi himself opted out of wearing one. Passengers were required by law to wear a helmet at all times, though it was optional for drivers. He had him mount up behind him, and once Eren was settled in the bitch seat properly, Levi cranked the bike to life with a roar. Together, they rode to the city's UFI branch headquarters. Levi had never been to Tarsus Valley before, and he was contemptuously amazed at how huge the city was. He'd thought Trost was a big place, but the Valley was easily at least twice its size. The weather here was warmer and dryer, too. Palm trees lined the medians and the sides of the streets and avenues, and it didn't really surprise Levi to see quite a few women walking about in bikinis, their tanned bodies scantily clad.

"That's the bar we had our very first gig in," Eren pointed out as they drove down a nightlife strip. "Place is kind of a dive, but it got us started."

Levi peered at the joint through the tinted lenses of his shades, and he nodded. "I see." He checked Pitch's GPS and he turned right down the next street. After navigating his way through the city and getting various locations pointed out to him by Eren, Levi pulled into the parking garage of the skyscraper building that was UFI headquarters. He showed the security guard at the garage entrance his ID badge with his alias on it, and he provided his thumbprint in the electronic scanning device the man held out.

"Go right ahead, agent," confirmed the guard, and he raised the boom gate to let the two men through.

Levi drove up to the second level before he found a free parking space, and after he pulled in and cut the engine, he helped Eren off the bike. Unused to riding such a vehicle, the singer predictably got his foot caught on the seat while trying to dismount, and he muttered embarrassed thanks to his companion when Levi steadied him. Eren took his helmet off and placed it on the back rack of the bike, before combing his fingers through his hair to loosen it up. He propped his sunglasses up on his head as he followed Levi to the elevator.

The parking garage was connected to the office building, and the elevator had two sets of doors, front and back. Levi selected the ground floor, and when they arrived with a cheerful ding and the doors behind them opened, he urged his companion to get out first.

"So how long have you lived in this place, Eren?" he asked conversationally as they walked into the lobby. They had to stop at the security point, and Levi relinquished all of his weapons, instructing Eren to do the same—though all the younger man had on him was his pocketknife.

"My whole life, actually," answered Eren. "I'm surprised you didn't already know that, sir."

Levi shrugged. "I only went over the important bullet points when they sent me on this mission. How long you've been in your city of residence wasn't a vital piece of information." He sighed. Perhaps he should have paid more attention to that, though. If Eren had lived here his whole life, he was probably well known throughout the city. That made Levi doubly cautious, and his plan to leave Eren here while he went to his place to gather his things seemed like an even better idea.

"Something wrong?" inquired the singer as the guards gave them the nod to proceed.

Levi walked to the directory to locate the floor of the department he wanted. "It's nothing. I'm just more convinced than ever that you need to remain out of sight and secure while we're here. Hopefully I'll be finished here by nightfall, and we'll be back at the RV and on the road again without a hitch."

Eren sighed. "I'd have liked to visit my friends while we're here, but I understand why that's not a good idea."

"Another time," promised the agent, narrowing his eyes on the directory. "Okay, we need the fifth floor. Back to the elevator, Eren."

* * *

"Welcome, Agent Ackerman," greeted Branch Director Nevin as he shook Levi's hand. He was close to six feet tall, with graying blond hair, average features and hazel eyes. He kept a well-groomed beard and mustache. "Your boss already let us know you were coming. Why don't you come into my office and have a seat, and we'll discuss our findings on this case."

Levi nodded in confirmation, and he gently nudged Eren as he started to follow the man. They had a seat in front of Nevin's desk, and the director pulled up the case file on his computer. "So far, we haven't got any leads that will allow us a sting operation," explained Nevin. "We do have some possible suspects, but we haven't been able to investigate deeply yet."

"Understood," said Levi. "What about Mr. Jaeger's band and staff? Have you sent people to watch over them yet?"

The director nodded. "We have, and we've got one of the best computer techs in the field attempting to hack the BRS database for more evidence. It could take a while even with her expertise, so we ask that you remain patient. I'll inform your agency branch the moment we come up with anything solid, and vice-versa."

"Do you know where the BRS is based at, sir?"

"Here in Tarsus Valley, we believe," informed the director with a shrug. "They recruit out of here, at least. As for the doctor you requested we investigate, all of her records came up clean. She has no affiliation with the Bio Research Society, though it does appear they've attempted to recruit her into their organization more than once in the past."

Eren felt the tension leave him in a rush. "Thank God. I knew Miss Hange couldn't be involved with those assholes!"

Levi smirked. "Doesn't surprise me that they tried to reel her in, though. Well, that's good news. Are any of the possible suspects you mentioned counted amongst her staff?"

"Yes, actually," answered Nevil. "There are two employed by her that we've begun looking into. Something was strange about their background checks, and we suspect they may be going under assumed identities like our agents do. We have nothing solid on them yet, though."

"I see. What names are they going under, then?" Levi pulled out his phone and he opened up his notes application to take the information down for future reference.

"There's a Jason Hutch and a Kendra Wilson. I would show you their files, but they're currently under use by our tech department in another program."

"That's fine." Levi finished taking down the information. "The names are enough, for now. I'll do some digging myself when I can."

The director nodded. "What else can we do for you today while you're here, Agent?"

Levi glanced at his companion. "I'm going to need to leave Mr. Jaeger here under tight watch, while I go to his apartment and get some of his things. Of course, we'll need everything I bring back with me thoroughly scanned to be on the safe side, and I'd appreciate it if you could send one of your agents with me as backup for precaution. There's a chance the enemy has agents watching Eren's place, and I'd rather not take unnecessary risks."

"Of course." Director Nevin stood up, and he gestured at the door. "Right this way, gentlemen. I'll get Mr. Jaeger set up in our witness protection suites and assign to agents to guard him right away."

"I feel like a prisoner," sighed Eren.

"It won't last forever," Levi promised him. "Just think of it as a temporary setback in your life, kid."

The director got on his cellphone as he escorted the two of them to one of the suites on the next floor up, and he arranged for two agents to come and stand guard outside the door. He also sent for another agent to meet up with them and accompany Levi on his little mission.

"Oh no," groaned Eren as they stepped into the suite. He patted at his jacket. "Keys! I don't have any keys to my place on me, Levi. I just realized they were on the tour bus with my wallet!"

"Not a problem," assured the agent. "I can pick a lock faster than you can blink, Jaeger. I'll get inside and get your things, so don't worry."

"But…there's a chain on the door," sighed Eren. "I don't think you can 'pick' that, can you?"

"No, but I can break it. Don't get anxious; I'll lock the place back up when I'm finished and we can replace the chain for you when this is all over with."

"Okay." Eren didn't argue with him. He looked around at the room he'd been granted, and he grudgingly admitted it was a nice place, the equivalent of at least a four-star hotel suite. He went to one of the leather, high-back armchairs by the table and he had a seat.

"You'll find refreshment in the mini fridge," explained the director. "There's liquor in the cabinet over there, if you want something stiffer than juice, water or soda. If you're hungry, I can have something brought to you from our cafeteria."

Eren nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Nevin leaned closer to Levi, and he spoke under his breath. "He's pretty polite for a famous guy."

Levi nodded. "Yes. He won't be any trouble, sir. I—"

His sentence was interrupted when the door opened again and a young woman with ginger hair and hazel eyes of an almost golden shade came in. Her hair was pulled back in a professional twist, and she wore a black and white uniform suit. She saluted the director, and Eren stared at her as a sudden memory came back to him. He knew this girl. He'd seen her die. Shaken by the mental image of her crushed against the trunk of a huge tree, her eyes blank and staring in death, Eren looked at Levi with wide eyes. The captain had gone pale upon seeing her, and for once, his eyes were wide in his face as well. He bore the expression of a man seeing a ghost from his past—which Eren supposed was precisely what this young woman was.

"Reporting for duty, Director!" The young woman looked at Levi with a bashful, admiring smile. "Agent Ackerman, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so many amazing things about you and this really is an honor, sir."

She stuck out her hand, and Levi shook it slowly, his gray eyes never leaving her heart-shaped little face. The female agent seemed almost giddy, and she blushed under his scrutiny. "I'll be accompanying you today, sir. I'm Agent—"

"Ral," interrupted Levi softly. "Petra Ral."

She blinked. "Wow, you're good! You even know my real name!"

"I've heard good things about you too, Miss Ral," answered Levi, his expression of surprise fading back into its usual, impassive mask. "I'm pleased to work with you."

Petra smiled in pleasure, and then her eyes focused on Eren. "You're him, aren't you? Eren Jaeger?"

When the singer nodded dumbly, Petra withdrew a cd case from a large inner pocket of her blazer, and she shyly approached him. "I realize this is probably inappropriate, but would you mind autographing the sleeve for me, sir? I'm actually a big fan of 'Remember the Titans' and I just got your newest cd the other day. I hope it's not asking too much, under the circumstances."

Eren shook his head, still unable to find his tongue. He took the case from her and he opened it up, before accepting the pen she offered him. Petra clasped her hands with excitement and she bounced on her heels a little. "I was so excited to hear _our_ agency is protecting you! Of course, I'm not saying I'm happy someone's after you, but when I heard you were coming _here_ to our branch, I almost peed myself with excitement!"

"Ral," warned the director with a cough, and Levi covered his mouth suspiciously, as if fighting a smile.

Petra cleared her throat, looking immediately contrite. "Sorry, sir. I'll stop fangirling now. Well, except to say one more thing: I saw your band play at the Dutch a couple of months ago, Eren—may I call you Eren? Anyway, you guys put on a really great show! You sound as good live as you do on your recordings."

"Th-thank you," he managed, and he handed the signed case and the pen back to her. "Glad you like our music."

"Oh, it's the best!" she enthused. "My neighbors probably hate me for blasting it in the mornings when I'm getting ready for work. There's just something about your songs that strikes a chord in me. It makes me feel…I don't know…charged. Like I could take on anything."

"That's enough, Agent Ral," cautioned the director. "I'm sure Mr. Jaeger is tired from his trip here and would like a bit of privacy to rest. Agent Ackerman, we'll give you a moment alone with your client. Agent Ral will meet you in the lobby when you're ready to go."

"Of course, sir," agreed Petra. She started to follow the director out, but she turned around at the door and she spoke to Levi again. "Once more sir, it's really an honor to be working with you and—ack! Okay, boss, I'm coming!" She stumbled a little as her superior grabbed her arm to pull her out the door.

Once they were alone and the door was shut, Levi walked over to Eren with a faintly dazed expression on his face, and he plopped down in the chair on the other side of the table.

"She came back too," whispered Eren.

Levi turned his head to look at him. "You remember her?"

Eren nodded, still reeling over the unexpected meeting and the recollection it inspired. "I…remember her death. She was wearing that gear you fly around in, and something big was chasing her. It was…it looked like a giant woman without skin, and it…it…" He trailed off, unable to finish. His throat closed up and he choked a little.

"The female titan," explained Levi calmly. "She was after you. Petra was one of my elite squad members, along with Eld. She and the others died trying to defend you from the female titan."

Eren looked at him with horrified green eyes. "She did? All of you died protecting me?"

"Eventually," sighed the agent. "Don't look so guilty, Eren. You didn't kill us, and it was our mission to protect you. It's all in the past, and she's here now, like us. She's been given a second chance at life, so just be grateful for that."

Eren swallowed, and he shut his eyes. "I can't help but feel guilty. Now I keep seeing her like that, with blood leaking from her nose and ears and her dead eyes staring up…shit!"

Levi got out of his chair and he went to his lover, kneeling before him and putting his hands on his knees. "Shh, calm down. It was centuries ago, and it wasn't your fault. Soldiers die all the time in the line of duty, Eren. Each and every one of us were prepared to face our end, and you were too important to the cause to lose. Don't do this to yourself, all right?"

Eren drew a shuddering breath. It hadn't helped the way Levi bluntly told him Petra had died trying to save him. "I think maybe I could use that stiff drink, now."

Levi nodded and he got back to his feet to walk over to the cabinet that the director had pointed out. He opened it to find a selection of good liquor, and he called out over his shoulder to Eren. "What'll it be, Jaeger? Looks like they've got this cabinet stocked with just about every kind of liquor you could ask for."

"Uh, is there whisky?"

Levi selected a bottle, and he located the glasses in another cabinet. "Coming right up." He poured a tumbler half-full. "Want ice or what?"

"Ice would be good, thanks. Sorry to be a pain in your ass, Captain."

"I'm used to it," said Levi dryly. He fetched a can of soda from the fridge for Eren to use as a chaser, and he brought both drinks to him and set them down on the table. He bent over to ruffle the singer's hair in his usual way of showing affection. "Just kick back, try to relax and wait for me. I'll try not to take too long, and I'll call you when I'm at your place and update you on my status. Watch some TV or something to take your mind off things."

Eren nodded. "Thanks, Levi. Maybe this drink will settle me down enough so that I can take a nap."

Levi kissed him briefly on the lips. "Just try not to get too shit-faced. I'll need you coherent enough to be able to ride when we're finished here, got it?"

"Yes sir."

Levi ruffled his hair again, and then he left the suite to meet up with Petra Ral in the lobby.

* * *

-To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

Levi's senses were on high alert as he arrived at Eren's apartment complex and looked around. Petra pulled up beside his bike in her sedan, and she looked around carefully as well as she stepped out of the car.

"This way," Levi told her after checking the building number.

Eren lived on the third floor of building four. They approached the building together, and Petra dutifully kept an eye out for any residents or staff while Levi got out his lockpicking tools and knelt down to get to work on the door. They really would have been better off doing this under the cover of nightfall, but Levi didn't want to be on the road late at night.

"Sir, there's an individual of interest at seven o'clock, at the building across from us."

At Petra's soft warning, Levi looked up from his task. The young woman had moved so that she was blocking Levi's actions from the view of the groundskeeper sweeping the open breezeway in the next building. Levi narrowed his eyes behind his shades and he studied the man, realizing he seemed to be taking a bit too much interest in their location for comfort. Suspecting the man was more than a simple groundskeeper, Levi resumed what he was doing, trying to speed it up.

"Just keep me shielded from view," he instructed Petra. "Pretend your reading a text message on your phone or something and stay casual."

"Yes sir," she agreed.

She was going under the alias of Jennifer French, and Levi reminded himself of that as he kept working on getting the door unlocked. He finally heard the telling click that indicated he'd succeeded, and he moved on from the knob lock to the deadbolt. Sitting beside him on the breezeway was a pump canister that looked like pest control spray, but was in actuality just filled with water. If anyone asked, he was there to spray for bugs. He'd even been given a cap to wear with the logo of one of the local pest control companies, and his t-shirt and jeans were casual looking enough to make it believable. Petra was there acting as a building inspector and Levi's supervisor, should anyone ask. The only obviously suspicious thing about their ruse was the fact that Levi had no keys to the place and had to pick the lock, but hopefully he would get it done before anyone saw his actions.

"All right, this one's unlocked too, now," he murmured, straightening up. He turned the knob and he pushed the door open as far as the chain lock would allow. Reaching into his back pocket, Levi grabbed the thick wire cutters he'd brought with him. He shoved it in through the crack in the door and he grunted with effort as he closed it around the chain and squeezed. The chain snapped, and Levi nodded at his petite companion as she turned around to face him.

"Let's go. Stay alert while we're in here."

Petra nodded, and she waited for Levi to pick up his bogus spray container and go in before following up behind him. They closed and locked the door behind them, and Levi inspected the interior of Jaeger's apartment. The place was pretty clean, thanks to the maid Eren admitted to hiring to clean a few times a week. The floors had tan carpeting and the furniture was stylish and modern, with a black modular couch set lining the living room wall and a big, flat-screen television mounted on the opposite wall. An impressive entertainment unit sat beneath the television, housing a stereo system, a game console and a media disc player. The glass-top, black lacquer coffee table sitting in front of the couch had a stack of music magazines on it, and the living room opened into the dining area.

"You have a look around in here and in the kitchen for any signs of intrusion," advised Levi. "I'm going to start filling my backpack with the things Jaeger asked me to pick up for him."

"Sure," agreed Petra. She got out her infrared scanner and she started going over the living room from top to bottom, opening the sliding glass door leading out onto the balcony and checking there as well.

Levi got out his phone and he called Eren as he navigated down the hall to the master bedroom. "Hey, we're here," he informed his lover when Eren picked up after two rings. "I'm heading into your bedroom now to get your stuff. So far, it doesn't look like anyone's broken in, but I'm not making any assumptions 'till I've inspected every corner of this place."

"I understand," Eren told him. "Just be careful, okay? Did you see any suspicious people hanging around the complex?"

Levi hesitated, thinking of that "groundskeeper" that seemed to take such an interest in Eren's apartment number. "Nothing overtly suspicious. I'll let you know if we find anything, Eren."

"Okay Levi. Thanks again for doing this for me. I'll keep my phone near me."

Levi nodded. "I'll catch back with you when we've finished. Goodbye."

He ended the call and he paused at the threshold to the bedroom, peering around intensely. The king sized bed was a platform design, and there was a modern, free-standing fireplace in the center of the large room. Levi spotted Eren's laptop computer on the white desk in the corner of the bedroom, and he walked over to collect it. Slipping his backpack off his shoulders, he opened it up and he gathered up the device's cord before stuffing the computer into the pack with it. He then noticed that he could feel a breeze coming from the northward facing window, and he quickly reached for the gun holstered under his shirt. Levi walked over to the open window, and he compressed his lips. The screen had been removed, and there were signs that someone had pried the window open.

"Hey French," he called out, using Petra's alias surname, "check the alarm system while you're out there, would you? It never went off when we came in." Eren had given him the code for it just in case, but he'd admitted he didn't recall whether he'd armed it before leaving or not.

"Someone's tampered with it, Mr. Hulcher," she confirmed from the hallway a moment later. "The wires behind the console have been cut!"

"Of course they have," muttered Levi. He started going through Eren's drawers and closet, searching for any signs of a bug being planted. His eyes narrowed when he looked at the entertainment unit in the bedroom, and he walked over to it and squatted down.

Petra came in while he was inspecting the unit. "Sir, I found a micro camera in the living room. This place is being watched."

Levi nodded distractedly, feeling around the components within the entertainment console. "There's one in here, too." He located the tiny device, tucked away between the dvd player and the satellite box. So small and craftily placed that the average person wouldn't have even detected it, the camera was wired into the disc player. Levi set his gun down and he got out his multi-tool to cut the intrusive little device free. He held it up for Petra's inspection.

"There's bound to be more throughout the apartment, but let's not concern ourselves with finding them right now. We have our confirmation and our proof that someone broke in and set up monitoring devices so they'd know when Eren returns home. My guess is they did it after failing to abduct him after the concert in Trost."

Petra nodded. "That would be my guess too. Do you want me to disable and collect the other one, sir?"

Levi shook his head. "No need. We only need one. If you find any audio devices while I'm packing this bag, go ahead and disable them."

"Yes sir." Petra left him to his task, and Levi gathered up the boots and clothing that Eren had specifically requested as fast as he could. He didn't want to dally for too long, knowing this place was being watched and the enemy organization likely knew what he and Petra looked like, now.

* * *

The sun was beginning its descent in the sky when Levi returned to headquarters with Petra. He watched her quietly as they stepped into the elevator together, and he considered things. It wasn't good manners to try and poach one of this branch's agents, but he felt certain that Ral belonged on his team. They wouldn't have met again if they weren't meant to work together.

"Hey Petra."

She looked at him curiously. "Hmm?"

Levi leaned back against the elevator wall, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "You did good work out there with me today. Ever thought of transferring to a different branch?"

She seemed slightly confused. "Transferring, Agent Ackerman?"

"I mean Trost," he explained. "I'd like to offer you the opportunity to be on my personal team of agents. I only recruit the best of the best, and you fit the bill."

Her hazel eyes went wide in her face. "M-me? Be on _your_ team? Sir, I don't know what to say! You haven't even seen me in action, yet!"

Levi resisted a smirk. Oh, yes he had. "Don't need to. I've read through your performance reports and your marks are impressive. No, I'm not asking because I want to hit on you, if that's what you're concerned about."

She chuckled a little nervously, and she shook her head. "Of course not, sir. I know your interest is professional. I…kind of noticed something about you, so that was never a concern."

He tilted his head. "Oh yeah? What was this thing you noticed?"

She lowered her gaze and bit her lip. "I really shouldn't say. It's none of my business and I don't want to offend you."

"Speak freely with me," he ordered. "You aren't going to offend me, Ral."

She took a deep breath. "Okay, but if my observation is wrong, I apologize in advance." She met his eyes hesitantly. "You aren't into women, are you?"

Levi wasn't surprised that she'd picked up on that. After all, she'd known him in her past life, and Petra had always been an observant and sharp woman. He shook his head calmly. "No, I'm not. In fact, I'm taken already."

She nodded. "I figured as much. It's Mr. Jaeger, isn't it? I noticed the subtle difference in the way you look at him, compared to how you look at everyone else. Sorry if I'm crossing a line, sir."

"You're fine," assured Levi, "and yes, it's Eren. Do me a favor and don't lecture me about getting romantically involved with a client."

"I wouldn't," she assured him. "It happens sometimes, sir, and there's…I don't know…a chemistry between the two of you. Somehow it feels familiar to me. Maybe I'm just crazy, though."

He smirked slightly. "You aren't crazy. You're just more aware than most others."

She relaxed, and the elevator reached the fifth floor. "So are you serious about taking me on your team?"

"Absolutely." The doors opened, and Levi waited for her to step out first before hefting his backpack and joining her. "Take a couple of days to think on it, Petra. There's no hurry."

"There's really nothing to think on, if you're really serious." She grinned at him. "I've admired your work since I first joined the agency, sir! This is an opportunity I can't pass up!"

"Good, then I'll have a word with your boss and get things rolling. Take care, Agent Ral. I've got to drop this stuff off in the analytics department before I do anything else. Welcome to my team."

* * *

As he'd expected, Levi had to make some compromises with Director Nevin to get him to agree to the transfer. He got on the phone with Erwin and he organized for one of their agents to transfer to Tarsus Valley in exchange for Petra. As it turned out, they were short in the tech department and Levi's branch just happened to have plenty of agents with that skill set. Nevin was pacified by the compromise, and he got started on Petra's transfer papers right away. Satisfied that things seemed to be falling into place and wondering how many of his other former team members were out there in the world somewhere, Levi went to Eren's secured suite to explain the situation to him.

"It took a bit longer than I expected," Levi told him as he joined him on the couch. He leaned back against the cushions and he rested his arms over the back of it. "I'm not going to lie to you for the sake of making you feel safer, Eren. Someone's wired up your apartment, and I suspect at least one of the staff in that complex is an undercover BRS agent. In fact, chances are once they saw myself and Miss Ral in there, they either had us physically followed or they used satellite surveillance to see where we went. That means we are going to have to book it as soon as they finish scanning your belongings, okay?"

Eren visibly gulped. "But if they know you're here and they think I am too, won't someone come after us as soon as we leave headquarters?"

"Probably." Levi nodded. "That's why we're gonna wait 'till nightfall to leave. I've spoken with the director and he's going to try and find us some body doubles to act as a decoy."

Eren looked the agent up and down, and he shook his head. "He's not going to find anyone that looks like you, Captain."

"Tch, they don't have to be clones," explained Levi. "They just have to be around our same size with the right color hair. It's going to be dark, so whomever the agency assigns just has to look enough like you and I to be mistaken for us from a distance. They'll leave first on a black motorcycle similar to mine, and hopefully anyone planning on following us will mistake them for us. With any luck, they won't realize they're chasing decoys until we're long gone and ready to get back on the road."

Eren scratched his head, and he smiled shyly at the other man. "You really think of everything, don't you Levi?"

Levi stared mutely at him for a moment, and then he closed the distance to kiss him deeply. He murmured against his lips when he pulled back again, his breath intermingling with Eren's. "Everything I can, to keep you safe."

Eren blushed visibly in response to that statement. It wasn't exactly a proclamation of love, but Levi felt he should know how seriously he was taking this, and how important his safety was to him. He'd never been good with words or expressing himself. The agent drew back further to search Eren's face.

"Was that good enough for you?" he asked bluntly. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Eren?"

"Yeah," breathed the singer, stroking Levi's raven hair. "I think I do. Thanks, Levi."

* * *

It was close to nine pm by the time the agency finished scanning all of Eren's belongings, debugging his computer and installing advanced protection software on it. Eren secured the backpack to his back as he went into the parking garage with Levi. There waiting for them beside the captain's bike was a pair of agents on another bike, both wearing helmets with the visors down. The bike they were riding was the same color scheme as Levi's, though it lacked the decorative stencil his had on it. The man driving the bike was roughly Levi's side, if a couple of inches taller. It didn't surprise Eren that they couldn't find an agent as short as his lover, but as Levi said, they only needed to fool the enemy long enough to give them a window. The driver nodded at Levi, and Ackerman nodded back.

"Put this on and pull the visor down," instructed Levi as he got Eren's helmet and handed it over to him. While Eren secured the helmet as ordered, Levi opened up one of his saddlebags and he procured that ODM gear of his.

"Whoa, are you gonna ride with that on?" Eren asked, eyes wide behind the visor.

Levi began to buckle the harness on. "Sans pairing blades, yeah. I'd put them on too if the sheathes weren't so bulky. As it stands, I don't need them getting in the way while we're riding, so they stay in the compartment for now."

Eren and the two agents watched as Levi secured his gear and checked the canisters. The captain glanced up at Eren when he finished, and he got his own helmet out of the other saddle compartment. "It's just a precaution, Jaeger. If it seems like we're going to get cornered, I want an alternate means of mobility at our disposal."

The agent impersonating Eren spoke up. "I'd heard of the gear you designed, but this is the first time I've ever seen it. Pretty cool, Ackerman. Is it really functional?"

"Wouldn't be much good to me if it weren't," answered Levi dryly. He mounted his bike and he put his helmet on. "Climb up, Eren. I'll start the timer on my watch when these guys take off, and we'll give it five minutes before we leave after them."

Eren obediently and awkwardly straddled the back seat of the bike, putting his arms around Levi's waist once he was seated. He looked over at the two agents, and the driver gave the thumbs-up.

"Good luck, you two," offered the driver. He revved his engine and he started off.

Eren took a slow, deep breath to calm his nerves as Levi began the countdown on his watch.

"You feeling okay or what, Eren?"

The singer nodded, squeezing him a little more tightly. "Fine, sir. Just nervous."

Levi twisted in his seat to regard him through the visor, his hooded eyes calm like they were just going on a joy-ride or something. "It's going to be fine, kid. Just try to keep a cool head."

Eren nodded again, and he willed the butterflies in his stomach to settle down.

* * *

Eren didn't relax until they were several blocks away from headquarters. It seemed the ruse worked—if anyone had tried to follow them at all. He estimated that they were about ten minute's ride from the lot where they'd parked the motor home. He rested his helmet against Levi's back, between his shoulder blades. He felt one of the agent's hands reach down to give his knee a quick, reassuring squeeze.

"Feel better?" called Levi.

"Yeah, I do." Eren smiled and he took his head off the other man's back. "I'll feel even better when we're on the RV and back on the road."

He suddenly experienced a strange chill of premonition, and Eren frowned. He'd felt this before; mainly when he was in some kind of danger. With a feeling of dread, Eren looked over his shoulder at the traffic behind them. He squinted, trying to tell if that black van a few cars back was following them or not. He had a bad feeling about it.

"Uh, Levi?"

"I see them," assured the agent, glancing in the rearview mirror on the left handlebar. "Hold on, Eren. It may be nothing, but we're not going to chance it."

Eren held tightly to him as Levi gunned the engine and started dodging in and out of traffic, using the bike's small size and maneuverability to put some more distance between the suspicious vehicle and themselves. He took a detour, ignoring the instructions on his navigator and taking a right turn to get off the main street. Sure enough, the black van followed them. Levi turned left down the next street, and he sped up again. It was then that Eren heard what could only be described as gunfire.

"Shit, they're shooting at us!" He hollered. "I thought they wanted me alive!"

"I don't think they're aiming to shoot you," Levi said grimly. "Probably aiming for our tires. The asshole in the passenger seat has a sniper rifle."

Levi took another quick turn down another back street, and he put more distance between them and their pursuers. "That van's not gonna be able to keep up with my bike, so just stay calm, Eren. We'll shake them."

Eren gritted his teeth, finding himself with that weird urge to bite his hand again. The engine roared and popped as Levi drove the bike down suburban streets. They passed a guy that was doing a late-night watering on his lawn, and Eren almost laughed hysterically at the shocked look on the civilian's blurred face as they zoomed past him.

"Slow down, asshole!" the man shouted after them. "There are kids in this neighborhood!"

Levi flipped him off casually over his shoulder. "Tch…kids. Any small kids out this late at night have neglectful fucking parents."

Eren didn't comment on that. He looked behind him to see the van dwindling in the distance, and he felt keen relief. They were losing them. His relief was short-lived, however. He heard the rotating blades of a chopper approaching, and he looked to the right to see the flying vehicle coming over the rooftops, shining a spotlight on the ground in search of something—or someone.

"Think they're looking for us?" shouted Eren, pointing at the helicopter. The spotlight shone on them a second later, and Eren yelped as he heard more gunfire and felt something skip against the saddle compartment on his right. There was a clang, and Eren saw something long and silver with a purple plume on it spin away through the air. It seemed to be a tranquilizer dart.

"Looks like it," gritted Levi. "So much for the decoy idea. They must have figured it out sooner than I'd hoped. Eren listen; take the gun from my left holster and keep it on you. The safety is on, so don't worry about shooting yourself by accident."

Eren reached with a shaking hand to do as Levi ordered, and he couldn't tell if his adrenaline came from fear or excitement. He felt charged…ready to fight. They seemed to have shaken the van that was following them, but they weren't likely to do the same with the chopper.

"How are we going to deal with this helicopter?" he asked.

Levi changed directions and he took a bigger street, heading back toward the downtown area. "Wait, why are we going this way?" Eren demanded. "We're heading back toward headquarters!"

"Yeah," agreed Levi. "I need taller, closer buildings. They'll provide some cover and give me the leverage I need to use my gear."

Eren's mouth dropped open. Was the captain actually talking about engaging that chopper with his ODM gear? Maybe he thought he could attach his wires to it and hijack the bird from the occupants.

"What are you planning, sir?"

"I'm not sure yet," admitted, Levi, "but our best option is to lose these bastards in an alley or something."

Another shot went off, and Eren cursed as the dart landed in his seat, right by his ass. "Whatever we're doing, we'd better do it fast! That one was close!"

"Just hold on," ordered Levi. He sped up and he took another turn. Soon they were back in the part of the city with taller, more densely packed buildings. Levi turned down an alley once the spotlight lost them, and he stopped the cycle near a garbage bin. He dismounted the motorcycle and he removed his helmet, checking his other remaining gun.

"Levi, what are you doing?" whispered Eren, very aware of the sound of the rotary blades up above. They chopper had lost them for now, but it wouldn't take long for that to change.

Levi attached his pairing blades and their sheaths to his gear, and he put his hands on the triggers of his gear, looking up. "I'm taking a gamble. Scoot up, Eren. If anything happens to me, I want you to haul ass on my bike back to headquarters for help. You know how to drive a bike at all?"

"Uh, not really." Eren scooted forward, and he broke into a sweat. "Levi, let's just keep going. I…don't want anything to happen to you."

"We're not going to outrun that chopper," reasoned the agent with certainty, "so I've got to try and take it down. Stay here and stay low, Eren. Keep that gun ready and if anyone besides me comes down this alleyway, be ready to shoot them at the first sign of hostility. Can you handle that?"

Eren nodded, though he didn't feel very confident. All he knew was that if anyone hurt Levi, they were going to pay for it.

Levi fired off his grapplers and he shot up and away. Eren watched with a blend of awe and familiarity as the captain seemed to run up the side of the five-story building he'd chosen to anchor off of. It was made of brick, so it seemed to provide a good purchase surface. Just as Levi made it up to the roof, the helicopter came into view, flying low over the building tops. That proved to be the perfect opportunity for Levi, and Eren heard him make an aggressive sound as he fired his wires again. One of the grapplers seemed to smash through the glass on the passenger side window of the chopper, but the other embedded solidly into the metal of the door. Levi flipped through the air, grunted and spun like a whirlwind.

He was magnificent, and Eren forgot for a moment the danger he was in as he watched his lover perform what seemed like an impossible maneuver, his small, athletic body twisting gracefully. At first Eren couldn't tell what he was trying to do, but then his blades flashed and there was a terrible screeching sound. Whatever kind of metal those damned things were made of, it must have been harder than ordinary steel. The two of the chopper's primary rotary blades went crashing down to the roof. A gunshot went off just before the helicopter began to spin out of control and fall from the sky. Eren covered his head and he winced as a greater crash followed the one from the rotary blades falling down. Shrapnel and debris rained down, and a piece of it struck Eren's shoulder painfully.

He didn't care about the bruise he was likely to get, because Levi came in for a landing nearby, and Eren noticed he was limping. The singer stared with wide eyes at the rip in the captain's pant leg over his left thigh, and he saw the dark blood flowing from it.

Levi had been shot.

"Levi!" Eren jumped off of the bike, nearly falling on his face in his haste to go to the other man's side. "You're hurt!"

"I'll be all right," grunted Levi as he replaced his blades in their sheaths. He accepted Eren's help as the taller man put an arm around him. "We've got to get moving, Eren. That crash is going to attract the police, and we don't need to be anywhere on the scene when they get here."

Eren lifted the smaller man into his arms, scooping him up bridal style.

"H-hey, put me down," snapped Levi.

Eren shook his head, in a panic. "I'm not letting you die for me again! I'm taking you to a hospital!"

"Have you _lost_ it, Jaeger?" sputtered the captain, squirming in his arms. "It's not a mortal injury, and no fucking hospitals! Gunshot wounds get reported and I don't have time to pull strings to deal with the local authorities."

"But—"

"No," reiterated Levi sternly. "Just get me on the damned bike, and when we make it to the RV I'll see to my injury myself. We've got to move, soldier!"

Eren didn't even blink at being called "soldier". He carried Levi to the bike and he carefully got him onto it. "Can you even drive with your leg shot like that, or should I try?"

"I'll manage," grunted Levi. "Get on."

Unable to bring himself to disobey the man, Eren mounted up behind him and he tore part of his own shirt off to ball it up and press it against Levi's injury. The captain winced, but he offered no protest. Eren put his free arm around Levi's waist and he urged his lover to drive fast and get them to their destination before he lost too much blood.

* * *

"Looks like it just grazed me," announced Levi some time later, once they'd loaded the bike back into its compartment in the RV and got inside. Levi had his pants, boots and gear were off, and he was cleaning the wound with astringent from the first aid kit on board. "Might need sutures, though. Shit…I don't think we have anything for that in this kit."

Eren sat beside him on the couch, biting his lip as he stared down at Levi's bared thigh. "Could we go back to headquarters and have it seen to? They should have some kind of medical facilities there, right?"

Levi sighed. "Yeah, but I don't want to go back there after we went through all this trouble to leave. Doesn't seem like anyone followed us back to this road monster we're in, so we should be safe for a while."

"Sir, it needs to be looked at by someone with medical training," insisted Eren. "We can't just take a sewing needle and some thread to it and call it a day!"

"Well, what would you suggest?" Levi fell back against the couch, resting his head back against the cushion and panting softly as he kept pressure on the injury. "I can't go anywhere that might report this to the authorities, Eren. For all we know, the Tarsus Valley police has BRS agents in their ranks. In fact, they probably do."

Eren considered the matter, and then he snapped his fingers. "Dr. Zoë! The agency said she checked out when they investigated her, so she's not in league with the enemy! I'll bet if I call her up and ask her to, she'd make a 'house call' and come here to us."

Levi went still, and he turned his head to gaze at Eren. He had to admit, the idea had its merits. If Hange was anything like he remembered her, she'd be adventurous enough to come if asked, and discreet enough to keep it to herself. "You know her personal number?"

"Not by heart," answered Eren, "but I can look her up online. She's got a web page with her office and cell phone numbers listed on it."

Levi nodded and shut his eyes again. "Do it. If you can get her to come, that would be fine."

Eren nodded, and he immediately dug his laptop out of his bag and opened it up on his lap. He powered it on, connected to the RV's hotspot and immediately opened his browser to search for Hange's website. He got his phone out when he found it, and he quickly added her cellphone and office numbers to his new contact list before dialing it.

"Please pick up," he begged softly as the phone started to ring. He swore vilely when he got her voicemail, but he didn't hang up. Hopefully she was just not answering because it was an unknown number, and not because she was asleep in bed. Eren waited for the beep before leaving his message. "Dr. Zoë, it's Eren Jaeger. I've got a new cell number, so please take this down. I need your help, if you can. A…a friend of mine is hurt and he's got a sort of phobia against hospitals and doctor's offices. You always said if I ever needed anything to call you, so I'm doing that now. Please call me back at this number as soon as you can. I need your help, Miss Hange."

Levi listened to Eren's plaintive request, and he opened his eyes to look at him when the singer ended the call and dropped his phone with a sigh. "I'm sure she'll touch bases with you soo—"

Levi's attempt to comfort Eren got interrupted by the taller man's phone going off. Eren picked it back up and he blinked down at the screen. "Oh, thank God…it's her!" he announced as he answered it. "Hello, doctor?"

"Eren! It's so good to hear your voice. I heard about you getting injured at your last concert and I was hoping you'd get in touch with me. Sorry I didn't pick up, my dear. If I'd known it was you, I would have answered right away."

"That's okay," said Eren urgently. "Did you hear my voice message?"

"Yes I did…well, most of it. I called you back as soon as I heard that it was you, so I didn't listen to the whole thing. What's the matter, Eren?"

"I'm in town, and I've got a friend with me that's been injured," explained the singer. "He doesn't want to go to the hospital or to a doctor's office, and you're the only person with medical knowledge that I feel I can trust. I know it's inconvenient, but could you maybe come to our location and have a look at him? It's his leg."

There was a brief silence on the other line. "Eren, are you in some sort of trouble?"

"I…I can't explain it right now," Eren said with a glance at his companion. "Please, just come. I'll tell you everything when you get here, okay ma'am?"

"Okay, just stay calm," soothed Hange. "I can be across town to your apartment in about twenty minutes."

"I'm not at my apartment," corrected Eren. "I'm in an RV in the suburbs. I can give you the address of the trailer lot we're parked at, if you've got something to write with."

"Okay, that's…strange. Hold on a sec." There was a rustling sound and then Hange spoke again. "All right, Eren. What's that address?"

Eren got the address from Levi, and he gave it to her. He also described their RV and told her which lot number they were parked in.

"Who's that in the background?" asked the doctor, "your injured friend?"

"Yes. His name's Le…Uh, Falke Hulcher. Please hurry, Miss Hange. He's lost a lot of blood."

"Sounds serious," muttered Hange. "I'll save the questions for when I get there. Just keep pressure on it and keep it elevated. Do you happen to know his blood type, Eren? I can stop by my blood bank and bring a pint or two for a transfusion, if I need to."

Eren looked at Levi. "What's your blood type?"

"B positive," answered Levi drowsily.

Eren repeated it for Hange. "Okay, just hang tight," she advised. "I'll get there as soon as I can, Eren."

He sighed in relief and he nodded. "Thank you so much, doctor. I owe you one."

* * *

Levi dozed off, and it seemed like he was only out for a moment before he got startled awake by someone banging on the side door of the vehicle. He grabbed his gun and he readied it as Eren went to answer the door. He nodded at the singer, signaling him to go ahead and open it. When Eren did so and Levi saw Hange's familiar form standing outside, the captain relaxed. He put the gun away, covered up his legs to the knees and he watched as his former comrade in arms stepped into the RV, carrying a big medical case. Her wide, wine colored eyes met Levi's, and he frowned a little with the realization that she wasn't wearing glasses. She must have been using contact lenses.

"Well, well," stated Hange in a faintly startled tone. She approached the couch as Eren closed and locked the door behind her, and she set her case down. "Eren, be a dear and fetch the cooler from the back seat of my car, would you? It's got the blood pints in it, and by the looks of Mr…Hulcher…he could probably use a little transfusion."

"Yes ma'am," Eren agreed, unlocking the door again. "Is the car open?"

Hange nodded, and she went to the console to take the desk chair from it and roll it over to the couch. As Eren ducked out to retrieve the requested item, Hange sat down in the chair and she bent over to open her medical case. Once she had that open, she adjusted the wall sconce for more light, and her eyes met Levi's again as she reached for the sterilizing solution in her case. "Now just try to relax. We'll get you patched up in a jiffy, Falke. How did this happen, anyway?"

He watched her quietly, debating on whether he could tell her the truth of it. This was Hange, though, and Levi had the sneaking suspicion that she recognized him on some level. "I got grazed by a bullet. Luckily it didn't go in."

"Gunshot wound, eh?" Hange squirted some of the solution onto her hands and she rubbed them together, and then she got out some surgical gloves. "Do you want to expand on that, or should I just use my imagination?"

"I'm a UFI agent," Levi answered automatically. "Ever hear of it?"

Hange nodded. "Of course. So tell me, agent, is Falke Hulcher your real name?"

"It's an alias." Levi watched as she snapped the gloves on and procured a syringe case, a bottle of medicine with a syringe adapter on it, some gauze and some astringent.

"I suppose you aren't allowed to give away your real name," she guessed. "So what's going on, here? Is Eren under agency protection for some reason?"

Levi nodded. "Yes. I'm his bodyguard. There have been kidnapping attempts made against him."

"Oh?" Hange raised a brow. She gently urged Levi to take his hand and the gauze away from his still-bleeding injury so that she could get started, and she dampened her own gauze with some astringent. "Do your people have any idea why?"

Levi measured her with his eyes before answering. "Anything I tell you is classified information, and knowledge of it could put you in potential danger. Are you prepared for that? Otherwise you're best off remaining ignorant."

Hange smiled at him, tilting her head. She even wore her chestnut hair the same way as he recalled, though she did look a little different without glasses. There was something fierce in her smile. "I think you'll find I don't scare easily, dear. Eren is one of my favorite patients. I almost think of him as a son. I want to know who's fucking with him and why."

Levi smirked. "Well played. All right, then. My real name is Levi Ackerman. We have evidence that a research organization known as the Bio Research Society is after Eren Jaeger for something unique in his DNA."

A line appeared between Hange's brows as they furrowed. "I've heard of them before."

"Yes, they've approached you before trying to recruit you into their ranks. I know. We've looked into you to make sure you aren't working for them. Nothing personal."

Hange lowered her gaze with a frown. Eren returned with the cooler, and she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Just sit it down anywhere, Eren. I'll get your friend started on the transfusion after I've treated his injury."

Eren nodded, and he went to the couch to sit down beside Levi with a hesitant expression on his face. "Did you…tell her what happened?"

Levi nodded. "I'm in the process of explaining the situation to the doctor now, Eren."

The singer's eyes widened. "You mean the _whole_ situation? Are you allowed to do that?"

"Doctor/patient confidentiality," assured Hange with a smirk at the young man. "It's okay, Eren. Agent Ackerman was just telling me about this organization that's been trying to nab you."

She started cleaning Levi's wound more thoroughly, keeping her eyes on her task while addressing the captain. "So these people want something in Eren's genetic code. Any idea what that is?"

The agent regarded her evenly. "I think you might already know the answer to that, Hange."

Her eyes lifted from his wound, and her lips quirked. There was a twinkle in her eyes. "Well, as his doctor, I _am_ privy to certain things. Eren does have some unique qualities to his genome. What I don't understand is how these people found out about that. I sure as shit never shared that information."

"We believe someone under your employment might be a mole for them," explained Levi, "either that, or someone at the blood drive works for them and they informed them when they got confirmation of what they've been looking for."

"Interesting." Hange finished cleaning the wound, and she began to fill the syringe with a local anesthetic. "It seems I need to keep a closer eye on my little worker bees, then. I would hate to think that Eren's in danger because of me."

"No, he's in danger because these fuckers want to experiment on him or something," corrected Levi. "You aren't clairvoyant, doctor. You had no way of knowing they would have sent any of their people to work for you."

"You're right," she sighed, "but clearly my screening process leaves something to be desired. Now hold still, Levi. This will sting a bit, but it will be over soon and we'll get you sutured up as soon as it's numb."

Levi dutifully held still, grimacing slightly as the needle went in around the site of his wound. Eren grabbed his hand and squeezed it supportively as Hange worked. "Thanks again for coming out at such a late hour, ma'am. I guess you know now why we couldn't go to a hospital."

"I understand," she assured. She finished injecting the medicine and she smiled at Levi. "It's going to be fine. It isn't as though your leg got bitten off, after all."

Levi stared at her, jolted by the comment and the sly look in her eyes. Could she…? No, it wasn't possible. The only person he'd run into from his previous life with any solid memories of the past was Mikasa. Hange had no relation to the Ackerman or Asian families that could retain memories that others forgot. It had to be a coincidence.

"No, it isn't like my leg got bitten off," agreed Levi softly. "Eren, quit fussing over me. I'm all right."

Jaeger was so worried about him that he evidently took no notice of Hange's queer statement. He was combing his fingers through Levi's hair and watching him with open concern in his eyes. "I'm not trying to baby you, sir. It's just…seeing you get hurt defending me like that worked me up."

Hange looked between the two men with interest. "Is it safe for me to assume you two aren't just friends, Eren?"

The singer blushed when Levi gave him a remonstrating look, but he nodded. "Yes. Sorry, I didn't mean to advertise it."

"Hmm, I see." Hange looked strangely pleased. "Well Levi, you just hold this gauze over that wound while we wait for it to numb up, and I'll set up the IV tree for your transfusion in the meantime."

* * *

Hange had Eren carry Levi to the bed, and she finished up there before putting him on an IV and setting the wrack up by the bedside. "I'll stay here until the drip is finished and I can be sure he doesn't need that second pint," promised Hange. Levi had already fallen asleep, thanks to the pain medication Hange had given him. "You should just rest with him, Eren. I'll close this divider to give you boys some privacy and I'll be in the living area, packing up my equipment."

Eren gratefully removed his shoes and climbed onto the bed next to Levi. "Thanks, Dr. Zoë. We've had a pretty long day."

"I'll bet you have. Think nothing of it, kiddo. I just hope you'll keep me updated on your status while his agency is trying to get these bastards that are after you."

Eren nodded, and he laid his cheek on Levi's chest and snuggled up to him. "I will, ma'am."

She smiled at the sight of them cuddled up together, and she closed the sliding divider that cut off the bedroom from the rest of the RV. Hange turned around, pressed her hands together and rested the fingertips of her first fingers thoughtfully against her bottom lip. She stood there that way for a moment, and then she dug her phone out of the purse she'd brought in with her. She saved Eren's new contact number, but she had the sense not to save it under his name. Instead, she titled it: "Puppy".

* * *

-To be continued


	8. Chapter 8

Levi awoke after a few hours, his leg throbbing again. He checked his arm to find that the IV drip had been removed. Carefully, he rolled Eren off of him and he got up out of bed. Locating a pair of loose pajama bottoms in one of the storage drawers, he pulled them on gingerly and he limped over to the divider to pull it open slowly. Hange was still there, and she'd evidently brought her laptop with her. She was typing something down when she heard Levi emerge from the sleeping area, and she was wearing her glasses now. She looked up at him through the brown, rectangular lenses and she smiled in greeting.

"Hello there, sleeping beauty. Did my typing wake you?"

Levi shook his head, and he closed the divider behind him before limping over and sitting beside her on the couch. "I didn't expect you to still be here when I woke up," he whispered.

"Oh, I was going to leave once your drip finished, but it's raining outside right now." She nodded toward the little window across the way, which had its curtains drawn. "I don't like to drive in the rain in the dark, if I can avoid it. I hope you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind." He kept staring at her suspiciously.

"What is it, my dear? Are you worried I might betray your trust?" Hange tilted her head inquisitively.

Levi shook his head slowly. "I know you won't, and I think you know why."

She smiled again, mildly. "Because I'm so fond of Eren? He's been my patient for over five years now."

"No, but that certainly helps." He didn't take his gaze off of hers. "You remember me. You remember our past lives, don't you?"

Hange didn't say anything at first, but then she chuckled softly with excitement and she nodded. "I remember you, tiny captain. How did you guess?"

"My first major clue was that comment you made about my leg getting bitten off. At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but you kept getting this look in your eyes, like you had a secret."

"You know me too well, Levi." Hange didn't deny anything. "I wasn't sure if you remembered me too, so I dropped the hint hoping you'd figure it out on your own. After all, people already think I'm strange without me spouting off about living another life killing titans. I'm not a fan of the idea of getting committed."

"How?" demanded Levi, his thin, dark brows furrowing over his piercing eyes. "How do you remember? Nobody else I've run into seems to, except Mikasa. Eren's been getting flashes since we reunited, but that's it."

"Well that's a fun story," she said with enthusiasm. "You know what a chemist I am, Levi. I still make a lot of my own medications, and one day when I was testing a formula meant to combat Alzheimer's, I had an epiphany. I've been having strange dreams throughout most of my life, and I couldn't explain where they were coming from. After reading things about ancestral recall and past lives, I thought: 'what the hell', and I tried the formula myself. Nothing happened right away and I was ready to just write it off as my wild imagination, but within a week, I regained all of those memories of those times. I even considered having Eren take it, but then I thought of everything the poor boy had gone through, and I decided it would just be cruel."

Hange hugged Levi abruptly. "But now you're here! You came back, just like me, Eren and the others, and you two are _together_ again! It's amazing and wonderful, don't you think?"

"Yes, amazing," he grunted. "Not so tight, four eyes."

"Ah, forgive me." Hange sniffed and she released him, wiping her eyes hastily. "Who else has come back, Levi?"

"I work for Erwin," he answered, "just like in the past. Ironic, isn't it? Mike is his second in command, and Eld works under me. I also ran into Petra at the agency branch here, and I've convinced her to transfer to Trost and join my team."

Hange's eyes went wide, and her mouth rounded into a little "o" of surprise. "My goodness! You've nearly got the entire Levi Squad back! I wasn't expecting to hear that you're working with Erwin again…and _Mike_! How are those big lugs?"

Levi shrugged. "Much the same as they were in our previous life, except they have no memories of it." He frowned as he thought of the last conversation he and Erwin had in person. "Well, Erwin knows _something_ , but he doesn't truly remember it."

Hange hesitated, and the corners of her mouth pulled down slightly in a way that was usually a precursor to a thoughtful or insightful comment. "I hesitate to ask this, but do you think he recalls how things ended between you?"

The captain lowered his gaze. "He knows something went wrong. He senses that there was some bitterness between us. He told me so himself, and he's still carrying guilt with him over it, even though he can't remember what happened. This RV we're in was courtesy of him."

Hange nodded, and she closed up her laptop and put it aside. Leaning forward, she propped her elbows on her knees and she folded her hands together. "That's too bad. It's nice that Erwin is trying to make it up to you, but still…he was my friend."

"I know." Levi regarded her sharply. "Just how much do you know about the demise of mine and Erwin's arrangement, Hange?"

She looked at him sidelong. "Just enough, dear. Not that I intentionally stuck my nose into your business, understand. Eren was very upset the day after the three of you went to that social event, and I couldn't help but notice your limp was a bit…more pronounced. Then there was the tension between you and the commander when you were around each other after that, and the way Eren glared at him like he wanted to shift into titan form and gobble him up."

Hange smiled and she gently squeezed Levi's knee on his uninjured leg. "That boy would have done anything for you, Captain. I'm sure it's no different now than it was then, except that the two of you are closer in age now."

"Astute observation," murmured Levi. He winced as he shifted into a more comfortable position, and he rubbed the spot around the wound site on his thigh. "Damn, why is it always _this_ leg that gets injured or chewed off?"

Hange shook her head. "You know, I was wondering that myself. Your poor left leg seems to be a magnet for injuries. Are you in pain, my dear? I intend to leave you a bottle of pills for that, but enough time has passed for you to take some more if you need it."

"Do you have any pain medicine that won't dull my senses? That shit you gave me earlier worked well, but it knocked me out."

"Hmm, I do have a non-drowsy formula I could give you for during the day, but it isn't as potent as the medication I gave you last night. I'll leave a bottle of that with you too, but Levi, I strongly suggest you take the other stuff at bedtime so that you can get plenty of sleep."

She pinched his cheek gently, drawing an annoyed glare from him. "We can't have Eren's protector sleep deprived, can we?"

"Just make sure you label them so I don't get them mixed up," he grumbled.

"They're already labeled, my dear." Hange put her computer away, and she opened her medical case back up again. Visibly fighting a yawn, she procured two pill bottles out of it and she handed them over to him. "Here you go. I assume you'll be leaving for parts unknown by sunrise?"

"Yeah. We can't stay here now that we've had that encounter. They'll be looking all over for Eren, so we've got to get scarce as soon as possible."

She sighed. "Of course. Just get him safely out of here and out of those people's hands, Levi. I wish there was more that I could do for you boys."

Levi stared at her thoughtfully, and he scratched his chin. "Actually, there just might be more that you could do. You've been approached by the BRS before, right?"

Hange nodded. "Yes. I didn't want to be part of any organization though, and I'm gladder than ever that I turned them down. What is it, Levi?"

"I'm about to ask you to do something that you probably don't want to do, but it could help the agency and Eren out a lot. You have the chance to get your foot in the door with them, Hange. You could infiltrate them the way they've been infiltrating hospitals, labs and law enforcement. It would be dangerous for you, though. If they find out you're working with us to bring them down, your life could be in serious danger. It has to be your choice, and I'll trust your judgment."

Hange looked more excited than most would find reasonable. Anyone else might have scoffed at the notion of infiltrating a dangerous organization like the BRS, but her earlier expressed disinterest in joining them suddenly did a 180. "Why Levi, that's a _great_ idea! I'll see what I can do to arrange a meeting with one of their representatives, as soon as I get rested up. I'll be more than happy to help you bring these dirty mothers down and find out just what they're trying to do with Eren!"

She hugged him again. "Thank you for entrusting me with this, tiny captain."

"Just watch your ass," he cautioned. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you were capable, but don't get too reckless. What we need most is information and identities of involved parties."

"I'll do my best for you," she promised, "just make sure that you leave me with some contact information so that I can report any findings to you or to Erwin."

"I'll provide contact information for both of us," agreed Levi. He popped the cap of the more potent pain medicine, and he fished out a couple of pills before getting up and limping to the kitchenette to procure a drink from the fridge. "You can crash if you need to, by the way. You don't have to stay up all night waiting for the rain to stop. I'll wake you up when we're getting ready to go."

Hange immediately plopped down onto her back on the couch. "Right, sleep. I always forget to do that." She removed her glasses and she put them in the case in her purse. "Goodnight, Levi," she yawned.

He watched her for a moment. "Goodnight, Hange."

After washing down the medication with some water, Levi replaced the bottle of drink in the fridge and he went to get a blanket and a spare pillow for Hange. She was already out like a light when he brought the items back to her, and Levi lifted her head to prop it on the pillow before draping the blanket over her. He took her shoes off and then he dimmed the lights. That done, he went back into the sleeping area and he climbed back into the bed with Eren. The singer immediately sensed his body warmth and snuggled up to him.

Levi smirked quietly, and he shut his eyes and put his arms around his lover. Sunrise would come all too soon, and he needed to try and be rested for a long day of travel.

* * *

Eren woke up to the movement of the RV, and he lifted his head off the pillow in confusion. "Levi?"

It was daylight outside, though as Eren pulled aside the curtain over the little window over the bed, he could see that the skies were gray. He checked his watch and he blinked at the time. The RV turned a corner and started toward the highway, and Eren pulled the sheets down to get out of bed.

"Levi?" he called again as he exited the sleeping area and staggered through the RV. He saw that the agent was in the driver's seat, and Levi glanced back at him briefly.

"Did you sleep well enough, Eren?"

Eren covered a yawn and he nodded. "What are you doing? You ought to be resting."

"We needed to get out of town, and you were dead to the world," explained the captain. "I'm fine. Oi Eren, do me a favor and make me a cup of coffee, would you?"

"Sure. Not tea?" Eren lurched to the cabinet over the little stove and he rummaged through it for the instant coffee.

"That would usually be my go-to, but I think I need something a bit stronger. You should have some breakfast when you've finished that."

Eren glanced at the back of the driver's seat. "Are you sure you're okay to drive with your leg the way it is? I don't want you aggravating your injury."

"I don't even use my left leg to press the gas and break pedals," assured Levi. "It's fine. You can take over for a bit if you want after you've had something to eat."

"I will," agreed Eren. "I don't want you driving more than you have to. When did Hange leave? I must have slept right through it."

"She left just before I started up the engine to get on the road. She wanted me to tell you that you should come in for a checkup when all of this is over with."

Eren smiled, and he started up the electric kettle and sprinkled the coffee grounds into a mug. "I'm so glad she came out and took care of you. I told you she would."

"So you did," murmured Levi. "Then again, she used to be one of us as well. As crazy as she can act, she's trustworthy."

Eren looked up from his task with a little frown. "Then why did the agency have her investigated?"

Levi shrugged, and he adjusted something on the front control panel. "Because it was necessary. It wasn't so much an investigation on her as on her staff. Hange has agreed to help us out."

The water kettle began to boil, and Eren filled Levi's mug with it and stirred the mixture with a spoon from the silverware drawer. He carried the hot beverage carefully to his lover, and he set it down in the drink holder by the driver's side. "How is she going to help us out, sir? What do you mean?"

Levi glanced at him, and he nodded at the passenger seat. Eren took the invitation and he sat down, watching him curiously. "What I mean, Eren, is that Hange may have an in with the people responsible for this mess. As you may recall, they've tried to recruit her into their ranks before. If she shows an interest in joining them and they sign her up, then we'll have someone we can trust on the inside."

Eren didn't feel very comfortable about that. "It sounds dangerous, Levi."

The captain smirked briefly. "Hange is a dangerous woman. Don't underestimate her, Eren. She may be a doctor in this life, but you can bet your ass she knows her weapons, regardless. Do you know how many people Hange effortlessly lifted up by the throat and throttled, back in the day? She was also fearless. She used to drive me up the fucking wall sometimes, but if I needed someone with nerves of steel, she was the one I knew I could trust. She's also a brainiac and she knows how to work things out. I think she'll be fine."

Eren sighed. "I know in my heart that you're right, but I still don't like the idea of putting Miss Hange in harm's way. She's always been real nice to me and my band."

"That's because she remembers you all."

Eren ogled him in confusion. "Huh? How could _she_ remember if none of us do? Is she like you and Mikasa?"

Levi shook his head. "No, she's just a mad genius. She came up with some concoction in the lab. She told me she was working on a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease and the crazy bitch decided to try it out herself. I guess she'd had enough dreams about our past life to figure out she's been reincarnated, and she wanted to remember what happened. It worked, whatever she did. She got all of those memories back. We talked about it early this morning before sunrise."

Eren digested this information. "Doctor Zoë came up with some formula that can help us remember our past lives?"

Levi looked at him, his eyes narrowing. "Don't get any ideas, Eren. You're doing fine recalling things bit by bit. You might remember most of it on your own eventually."

"But…if I could remember _all_ of it right away, wouldn't that be useful?" Eren gazed back at his lover hopefully. "I can't stand not being able to remember the details of you, Levi."

Levi briefly compressed his lips, and he looked back at the road. "You know Eren, Hange considered offering you that tonic herself, but she decided not too…and with good reason. She's got a pretty flexible mind because she operates outside the fields of reality as it is. She was able to handle getting all those memories of her past life back within a week, but it could break you. It won't just be memories of you and I that you'll be getting back. You'll get all of the other ones back too, and trust me; most of them aren't going to be pleasant in the least. It was a hard, cruel life we lived back then."

"I understand that, but I don't feel complete, Levi." Eren sighed. "I feel like I'm only half a person. Couldn't we stop by her office and just get a dose of it? I don't have to take it right away. I can think on it for a while and—"

"No."

Eren stammered, and his expression started to harden. "Shouldn't it be my choice? Don't you want me back completely?"

"I already _have_ you back completely," insisted Levi, "minus the baggage. I don't want to lose you, brat. If you take that concoction of hers it could wind up putting you in the hospital, a drooling vegetable with no quality of life. Is that what you want?"

"But you don't _know_ that would happen." Eren was genuinely dismayed by the unfairness of it. "You remember everything and you're all right."

"I've spent my whole life remembering," explained Levi. "I learned to cope with it over time. You're talking about cramming a whole separate lifetime of experience into your head in a week. I'm concerned for what that will do to your mental state."

Eren squared his shoulders. "If Hange could handle it, so can I."

"Tch. I already explained the difference between you two. Were you even listening?"

Levi grimaced, and he reached down to gingerly rub his left thigh. Eren looked down at the other man's lap with a frown. "Pull over, sir. Let me take over driving so that you can rest. We can talk about this later, I guess."

"You haven't had breakfast."

"I can eat a granola bar or pull off at the next rest stop with food joints. Please, Levi…rest your leg. Take a nap or just relax and read or something. I don't want you hurting yourself worse, okay?" Eren reached across the distance and he gently laid his hand over the one Levi had on the steering wheel. "Please."

Levi sighed, and he looked at him seriously. "No more talk of drinking mystery brain tonics, all right?"

Eren resisted a frown, and he nodded. "For now, I'll agree to that. Just pull over and let me take the wheel."

Levi gave a nod, and he complied with Eren's demands. Once the vehicle was at a full stop, he put the parking break on and he let his companion help him out of the driver's seat. "I'm going to take one of those stronger pills Hange left me, since you're taking over. It'll probably put me to sleep for a little while, but wake me up if there are any issues. Our next destination is already programmed into the GPS, so all you've got to do is follow the directions."

"Got it." Eren steadied Levi until he was sure the agent had his balance well enough to go into the back without falling. He slid into the driver's seat, and he noticed Levi's unfinished coffee. "Hey, do you want the rest of your coffee?"

"No, it won't do me much good once I take this medication," called Levi back. "You finish it, if you want."

Eren shrugged, and he reached down to have a sip before taking the parking break off. He adjusted the mirrors to suit him better and he put his seat belt on. "Let me know when you're sitting down, sir. I don't want to put her into drive while you're still in motion and have you fall."

"It's fine," came the answer from the back of the vehicle. "I'm sitting down on the bed, so go for it."

"You're the boss," muttered Eren. He put the RV into drive and he waited until it was clear before pulling back out onto the highway. It looked like they were going to be heading north. They were still within city limits, for now. Eren sighed, his mind in a whirl. He respected Levi's opinion, but he didn't think the captain knew what it was like to feel this way…to have only snatches of important memories. Who was he? _What_ was he? Levi's answers to those questions just weren't quite enough for Eren.

* * *

Levi woke up a couple of hours later, and it took him a moment to gather his bearings and recall where he was. He sat up in the bed and he scratched his side, peering around bleary-eyed at his surroundings. He frowned with sleepy awareness as it occurred to him that the vehicle wasn't moving. The power was on and the engine was idling. Confused, Levi swung his legs over the side of the bed and he grimaced at the pain in his left thing.

"Eren? Did we stop to get fuel or something?"

There was no answer from up front. Suddenly concerned, Levi grabbed up his discarded shirt, collected his gun and he put on his boots. He retrieved his boot knives from the side of the bed, and he jammed them both into the hidden sheaths in his boots.

"Eren?"

Levi drew his gun, checked the ammo compartment and he moved through the RV. Stupid…how stupid of him to keep calling out and announcing himself when there could be enemies. Nevertheless, Levi couldn't stop himself from calling his lover's name again as he crept through the vehicle in search of Eren. He found the keys in the ignition, and he twisted them to cut the engine off. Looking through the windshield with a frown, he finally realized where they were parked at.

Hange's office. They were at Hange's place of business.

"What in the _hell_?"

Baffled by the discovery, Levi took the keys and he concealed his weapon before exiting the RV. Hopping out of it, he entered the clinic. He was understandably shocked when he found none other than Annie Leonhart working the reception desk, and he narrowed his eyes at her when she asked if he had an appointment.

"No, but the doctor is expecting me," he informed her, confused beyond reason.

"I see," said Annie in a distracted tone. Her pale blue gaze was fixated on her computer screen. "Well if you'll just wait for a moment, sir, I'll—"

"I don't have time to wait for a moment," he cut her off. He started down the corridor. "It's back this way, right?"

"Well yes, but Dr. Zoë is with a patient right now, so—"

"Thanks." Interrupted Levi, guessing which "patient" Hange was with. He ignored Annie's soft protests and he continued down the hall to barge in on his former comrade and Eren Jaeger. He slammed the door open just in time to witness Eren drinking down the last of whatever tonic Hange had given to him.

"What the hell's going on?" Demanded Levi when both of them gave a start and stared at him.

"W-well, you see, Levi," began Hange uncomfortably.

Eren beat her to the punch, though. "I had to do it, Captain! I couldn't stand not knowing." Eren put aside the glass he'd just drank from, and he favored Levi with a curiously guilty look. "I'm sorry, but I have a right to remember."

Levi groaned inwardly. "You stupid brat. Do you know what this might do to you?"

Hange stood up, and she approached the incensed agent with great daring. "He knows the risks, Levi. I discouraged it, but Eren was determined. You know how he can be once he's got his mind set on something."

Levi shut his eyes. "Yes, I know how he can be. You crazy bitch! Why did you go along with it?"

Hange remained calm in the face of Levi's anger; no mean feat by anyone's standards. "Because he came to me for answers. In the end, I couldn't just leave him questioning. I love this kid as much as you do, Levi."

"So your solution was to give him something that's going to end up ripping his emotions to shreds? By the way…why is Annie Leonhart working for you? I'm pretty sure she's one of the assholes we've got listed as a suspect under an alias."

Hange held out her hands in a pacifying gesture. "All right, first and foremost, I think Eren is stronger than you give him credit for. He has as much right to his memories of his past life as we do, Levi. Secondly, I've employed Annie because I strongly believe in a very simple philosophy: _'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'_. I'm watching that girl like a hawk, and believe me, the moment she missteps, I will put her to a _very_ nasty end. Do you doubt that, Captain?"

Levi hesitated for a moment, caught up in the intensity of Hange's wine-colored gaze. He shook his head. "No, I don't doubt it." He looked at Eren, who appeared confused but resolved. "Okay, brat. You've drunk the shitty concoction against my advisement. We've got to get out of here and on the road, because now you've been spotted by people that might compromise my mission, and you can bet your titan-shifting ass that _somebody's_ going to report to the enemy soon. You need to be elsewhere before that happens."

"Yes sir," murmured Eren contritely. "I'm…sorry to be such a pain in your ass."

Levi sighed, and he ruffled Eren's hair as the taller man came to his side. "Look, I understand how you feel, all right? Hange, how much time does he have before your brew kicks in and he starts getting those memories back?"

She shrugged. "Maybe a day. It's hard to say for sure, because I'm the only subject I ever tested it on before Eren." She looked at the singer with a faintly worried crease between her brows. "Eren, stay off your feet, okay? If you suffer any significant side-effects between now and when the tonic does its work, you call me immediately."

Eren nodded. "Yes ma'am." He hesitated a moment as Levi urged him toward the door, and he impulsively embraced Hange. "Thank you for this."

Hange chuckled and she hugged him back. "Of course. Good luck, my dear. A lot of those recovered memories aren't going to be pleasant, but you'll have Levi to watch over you."

Levi grumbled under his breath. He was in a very sour mood over this entire affair.

* * *

Eren tossed and turned in the bed as his lover drove them further away from Tarsus Valley. They'd been on the road for around twelve hours now, and Eren was beginning to recall memories from his previous life. At first, it came as a relief to him. He remembered the first time he'd seen Captain Levi in person, and with that memory came a flood of admiration and love. He'd been in love with the man for his whole life, it seemed. Riding next to Hange on his way to the gates of Trost, Levi had been heading out on an expedition and Eren was still a child. Even then, his heart had pounded and the boy couldn't take his eyes off of the small but deadly captain. As much as Eren admired and respected Commander Erwin and Squad Leader Hange, he only had eyes for Levi.

Along with the memory of his first personal sighting of the captain came the memory of getting the ever-loving shit kicked out of him in a courtroom full of people. Even that experience hadn't dulled the razor edge of Eren's admiration of him. He'd never held it against Levi, and he understood that ultimately, the man's actions had been for his own good. Then Eren remembered their first sexual encounter, and his breath quickened in his sleep. He'd taken advantage of Levi during a moment of vulnerability, but the captain could have put a stop to it if he'd really wanted to. On the contrary, Levi welcomed Eren's sensual attentions, and he invited more later on. Neglected and lonely due to Erwin's work duties constantly taking up all of his time, Levi eventually chose Eren as his lover. At some point, he was even exclusive with him and the sexual part of his relationship with Erwin dissolved entirely.

~What happened to make him choose that? I…can't remember. Levi was always so devoted to the commander in every way! How did I luck out?~

Eren regretted concentrating on that question soon enough. Another memory came to him, and as Hange and Levi had warned, it wasn't pleasant. He was in some rich person's manor, trying to sleep while listening to the activity in the room beside his. It was Erwin and Levi he was hearing. The commander was making love to his captain, but in truth, "making love" was the wrong way to put it. Erwin was fucking Levi's brains out, and not even in the pleasurable sense. Eren groaned and rolled over, cramming his hands over his ears as if he could block out the memory of Levi's pained cries. Old rage came flooding back, and tears leaked from Eren's tightly shut eyes as he recalled in vivid detail the noises he'd heard that night. It wasn't even jealousy he'd felt; it was a fierce protectiveness and a desire for Erwin to stop hurting Captain Levi.

"You…bastard," snarled Eren. "Stop it! It's hurting him!"

Rough as Levi seemed to like his sex, Erwin had gone too far. The next morning, he'd sent Levi and Eren back to their keep headquarters alone, electing to remain behind in the capital. Poor Levi could barely walk on his own, suffering from a combination of his wounded leg and Erwin's savage treatment of him the night before. In that moment, Eren truly wanted to kill the commander. How _dare_ he treat his best soldier and his lover so thoughtlessly? Now Eren had a solid reason to dislike the man. He finally knew what Erwin had done to earn his scorn.

As he was attempting to cope with that regained memory, an older one resurfaced and Eren lay sweating and bewildered. His mother. She wasn't the same woman that had given birth to him in this lifetime, but he knew her the moment he recalled seeing her trapped under the rubble of their former home.

"Mom," he moaned, twitching fitfully. Something was coming…something big. He had to get her out! Mikasa was there with him, struggling to lift a broken beam off of the trapped woman. There was a lanky blond man present, speaking with cocksure arrogance. He came running back moments later, and he snatched up both Eren and Mikasa while Carla Jaeger reached out and yelled to Eren that she loved him, and that she wanted him to survive.

"Mama!" Eren wasn't aware that he was screaming in his sleep. He didn't feel the vehicle pull to a stop, nor hear the hurried footsteps of his travel companion. He yelled for his mother again as the memory of seeing her caught up in the grasp of the grinning titan loomed large in his mind. "Stop it!"

"Eren."

He was caught up in a warm, strong embrace, and he shuddered against Levi's chest with a sob. "It…it _ate_ her! It ate _him_ too, later on! He…he tried to protect Mikasa and I, and the…the same titan…it tore him in half!"

"I know," murmured Levi, his voice a low, calm drone against Eren's hair. He rocked him gently. "I was there, kid. You got that fucker, though. You finally got it, using your coordinate ability. You avenged them both."

Eren clutched blindly at Levi's t-shirt, crying into his chest. "I can't…stop seeing it! It wasn't enough! That thing died too slowly!"

"Shh, easy," came the reassuring, low voice. "I told you that some of these memories were going to be painful, Eren. Just breathe. I've got you."

More grateful for Levi's presence than words could say, Eren clung to him and he rolled up into a fetal position, practically in the smaller man's lap. "C-Captain…Levi…"

Levi nuzzled his hair, uncommonly affectionate. "I know it hurts, kid. That's probably the worst memory you could get back, and I've been bracing for it. She's at peace now though, and you did right by her. Let it go."

Eren swallowed hard, and he tilted his head back to gaze at his lover with tearful green eyes. "I w-want to talk to her. My m-mother in this life, that is. I…I need to hear her voice and know she's okay."

"You could do better than a phone call," suggested Levi softly. "Does she have a web cam set up? Maybe you two could do a video chat over the computer."

Eren sniffled, and he wiped his eyes. "Hey, that's a good idea! Is it safe?"

Levi shrugged. "Safe enough. She's got agents looking out for her and your computer has the best privacy protection software available now. Just calm down before you touch bases with her, okay? If you call her up in this state, you'll freak her out."

Eren choked on a laugh. "Y-yeah. I don't want to scare her, and I'm sure as hell not going to mention having a memory of my previous mother getting…eaten."

* * *

Levi took them to a local camping area, renting a trailer spot deep in the woods. After parking the RV, he made two cups of tea and he sat with Eren at the little table until the singer felt calm enough to contact his mother. He took his laptop off of the console and packed it in its case so that Eren could set up his computer there for the video call. Eren took a deep breath, and he opened up the chat program. They often spoke this way when he was out on tour. He brought out his phone and he dialed her number first, to let her know he wanted a video chat.

"Mom? Hey, it's me. Sorry I haven't had time to call you before now."

"Eren, thank God!" Madeline's voice was laced with relief. "I saw on the news that you got injured after your last concert, and these men from a government agency have been coming around lately, telling me that I need protection! What is going on?"

Eren cringed. "Uh, yeah…it's kind of complicated. Levi, can I tell her?"

"Might as well," agreed the agent. "Just make sure to let her know to keep it to herself."

"Got it." Eren explained what was going on to his mother. "So the story about me getting an injury was just made up by Armin to satisfy the press, understand?"

"Let me get this straight," said Mrs. Jaeger in a puzzled and somewhat exasperated tone, "these…people that are after you want something in your DNA?"

"That's what I've been told." Eren nodded. "Look Ma, I don't totally understand it myself, but I don't want you to worry about me."

"How can I not?" she demanded. "Some crazy scientific organization is after my only son!"

Eren smiled, amused by his mother's observation. "Yeah, but I'm safe, and I've got my own personal agency bodyguard. He's damned good, Mom. He even took down a helicopter just the other night." Eren winked at his boyfriend. "He's amazing. Nothing can touch me while I'm with him."

"Hmm, I might be imagining it, but you sound a little smitten, honey."

Her shrewd observation made Eren blush. "Oh yeah?" Madeline was quite aware of her son's sexuality and she'd always been very supportive of it.

"Is this man more than just a bodyguard to you, sweetheart?"

Eren's face burned hotter. Damn, nothing got past this woman. "Uh…okay yeah…we're kind of dating too…but he really _is_ amazing, Mom. He's like some sort of superhero. You should see him in action, I'm not shitting you!"

She chuckled. "Ah, young love. Well, as long as he keeps my baby safe, he's all right by me."

"He does," promised Eren. "Hey Ma, do you have your computer available? I miss seeing you and I thought we could set up a web chat, if you've got the time."

"I would love that! I'll go and set it up right now. I'll speak with you soon, honey!"

Eren grinned as he ended the call, and he rotated the chair he was sitting in to face the computer console. "Bingo. Thanks for that suggestion, Levi. I was so screwed up I never would have thought of it."

Levi sipped his tea and he leaned back against the door to the bathroom. "Happy to assist, Jaeger. At least you seem to have calmed down a bit."

Eren dialed in his mother's contact information, and he adjusted the screen on his laptop so that the webcam was focused on his profile. "Talking to her really helps. You being near me helps too."

Moments later, Madeline Jaeger's lovely face appeared on the screen. She waved excitedly to her son and she blew him a kiss. "There's my handsome boy! Where are you, by the way?"

"Uh…" Eren glanced around. "I'm not really sure, Mom. We're traveling in an RV and we're parked in some camping ground. That's all I know."

"Oh, I see. Well, it's better for you to be out there somewhere in the woods than in a city where those assholes might find you." She nodded sagely. "So, this agent of yours…can I see him?"

Eren shot a grin Levi's way, and he motioned to him. "Come say hello to my mother, Agent Ackerman."

"I'd rather not," muttered Levi into his cup.

"Oh, come on. She wants to see the face of my protector."

Levi heaved a put-upon sigh, and he closed the distance to lean down and put his face in the camera eye. "Hello, Mrs. Jaeger. Don't worry; I'm taking good care of your son."

"My, my," she said, eyes widening slightly. "Well, you have my thanks, Mr. Ackerman. Pleasure to meet you!"

Levi mumbled something in response, and he ducked away. On the screen, Madeline cupped her hands over her mouth and she whispered harshly to her son. "Eren, he is _really_ cute! Flat-out fucking _adorable_ , in fact! You did well for yourself, honey."

Eren burst into laughter, looking between the computer screen and his lover. He wasn't imagining it…Levi's cheeks were turning a delightful shade of pink. "Mom, he can hear you…and I think you made him blush!"

"I'll be outside," grumbled Levi. He excused himself then, hurrying to the side door to let himself out.

"Oh my," said Madeline. "Did I make him uncomfortable? I'm sorry, Eren. You know how I just tend to speak my mind without thinking."

Eren shook his head, still chuckling. "It's okay, Ma. Levi's really not the most expressive person in the world. He'll get over it. Hey, at least we know we've got your approval."

Now that he thought of it, Dr. Zoë kind of reminded Eren of his mother. He wondered if there was some kind of family connection in there.

"Well," sighed Madeline, "what more could a mother ask for? Handsome and capable. I wouldn't want a better combination for my baby. Now then, about this helicopter business…how exactly did your sexy agent manage that?"

"Oh wow, you should have seen it," enthused Eren brightly. "He's got this special combat gear that lets him fly through the air like a bird!"

Eren proceeded to describe the event to his mother, and she listened with wide, amazed eyes.

* * *

"Mom really likes you," informed Eren around an hour later as he joined Levi outside. The agent was sitting on a log, tending a fire he'd built to roast the chicken he'd picked up earlier. Eren sat down beside him with a smile. "She's a really good judge of character and she thinks you're perfect for me."

"Good for Mom," muttered Levi, still a bit uncomfortable. He wasn't used to parental approval in his relationships.

"Oh, and she wanted me to apologize for her," Eren went on. "She didn't mean to just blurt her thoughts out like that with you in listening range. She's just happy that I'm safe and with someone that can protect me. She's been worried."

Levi nodded, and he turned the chicken on the spit. "It's fine. She's a very…open-minded person, your mother."

"Yeah, she always has been," agreed Eren. He started to frown, and he stared into the flames. "My previous mother was a little less free-spirited. She never wanted me to join the scouts. I remember how upset she got when Mikasa tattled on me."

"That was another lifetime," insisted Levi softly. "So how is it, brat? Have you regained any more memories since this morning?"

Eren shook his head. "Not yet, but I guess that will come in time. Hange said it took like a week for her to recall everything, right?"

"Yes." Levi stirred the kindling, and he glanced at Eren sidelong. Inwardly he was worried for him. He didn't know quite how to express that, though. "I'm here, though. I think you've already regained one of the most traumatizing memories, so hopefully it will be easier when the rest come."

Eren nodded, and he bit his lip. "There's one memory that I know is going to be murder on me, when it comes."

Levi met his eyes. "Oh?"

Eren nodded again, holding the agent's gaze. "Your death. I…I know I wanted to remember everything, but I don't know how I'm going to handle that one."

Levi's thoughtful gaze remained locked with Eren's, and he was silent for a few heartbeats. When he finally spoke again, he used a calm, gentle tone. "When that memory comes to you, I want you to cling to reality, Eren. It was in the past, and I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere, so you stick with that truth, no matter how painful the recollection of my death is for you. Are we clear on that?"

Eren visibly gulped, and his eyes started to water up. "Crystal, sir." He cupped Levi's face in his hands and he drew him forward for a slow, lingering kiss. "I love you. I love you so much that it hurts, and I'm so damned lucky to have you."

Levi was rendered speechless by Eren's passionately stated proclamation. Jaeger had a way of making him feel cherished and treasured. This was what he'd been missing in his life. He placed his hands on the singer's broad shoulders, and he slid them down over his biceps. "Back at you, shitty brat."

* * *

-To be continued


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note: This chapter has been modified to comply with FFnet's censorship standards. You can read the unedited version at Archive of our own. Thank you very much for the reviews so far!_

* * *

The memory that Eren had been dreading came back to him that very night, as he was sleeping. It was terrible. He saw the ruin of Levi's left leg…saw his pallor as the captain bled out. He'd gotten the fatal injury while defending Eren. Guilt ripped into him as Eren moaned and tossed on the bed. The man he admired more than anyone _died_ for him.

"Levi," groaned Eren. "Captain!"

There was a shift of weight on the mattress, and Eren was vaguely aware of a strong embrace around his body. "Oi, Eren, it's okay. I'm right here."

"I…I killed you," sobbed the distressed singer. He clung to his lover and he shuddered with emotion. "It was all my fault!"

"No it wasn't," countered Levi softly. He stroked Eren's hair and he rubbed his back. "Ease up, Jaeger. You weren't to blame, all right?"

"B-but it wouldn't have ha-happened if it weren't for me," sniffed Eren. He pressed his tearful face against Levi's chest and he clutched at him desperately, recalling the agent's cautionary speech the day before. Levi was alive. He was with him now. Eren squeezed him tightly, desperate for his living warmth.

"I had a choice," murmured Levi. "I chose to protect you, Eren. I didn't have to. I could have let you get swallowed. You aren't responsible for my personal decisions, got it?"

Eren nodded convulsively, but he couldn't stop his shaken sobs. "W-when you died…my light went out. I…I couldn't see anything good in the world anymore! I couldn't care whether I lived or died. There was…nothing left but rage."

Levi sighed softly, and he nuzzled Eren's hair. "That's too bad, Eren. I wanted you to fucking _live_ , and to have some quality of life."

Eren tilted his head back and he gazed up at Levi's shadowed face with a sniffle. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to dishonor your sacrifice, Captain. I just…you were the world to me and…once you were gone, I couldn't care anymore. Damn it, I'm so selfish!"

"Tch. You're not selfish," admonished Levi quietly. "You were a kid. I probably didn't have any damned business sleeping with you to begin with. You can't blame yourself for having a teenager's mindset, Eren. You'd lost just about everything. Maybe I was some kind of salve for that. You put everything into our relationship and I've always wondered if I did some irreparable harm to you by getting involved the way I did."

"No," denied Eren, shaking his head. He hugged Levi tightly, his tears smearing against the smaller man's bare chest. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. B-being with me was like…the single most huge act of k-kindness you could ever do."

"Now you're just being stupid," accused Levi with a softly amused huff. He rocked him gently in his arms. "I know I'm a good lay, but let's not get too carried away, Jaeger."

Eren impulsively giggled. Leave it to the captain to come up with something amusing, without even trying to be humorous. "It's not just…because you're a good lay," he promised.

"Hmm, maybe I should try harder then," mused Levi dryly, his soft lips moving against Eren's forehead. "If I'm not blowing your mind, I'm doing something wrong."

Eren kissed Levi's chest, and his tears began to dry. "You always blow my mind. That was never in question, sir."

"Hmph. Good answer." Levi nuzzled Eren's hair again, and then he cupped his chin and urged him to look up at him. "You okay now, or what?"

Eren nodded, drawing a shuddering breath before smiling tremulously at his lover. "Yeah. You're here with me. I think I'm going to be okay."

"Good." Levi closed the distance between their lips. "I don't like it when you cry, brat."

* * *

"Yes, I've decided to join your little club." Hange smiled engagingly at the man she'd contacted, and she crossed her legs.

"Well, this is a surprise," said Mr. Tally. "The last time I approached you, I believe your response was for me to find a sharp object with which to sodomize myself with, Doctor Zoë."

Hange laughed softly. "Oh my, was I that aggressive? Well, I've got a mild case of Tourrete syndrome, and it rears its ugly head at times when people advertise to me. Don't worry though; it doesn't interfere with my work!"

"Your record more than speak for itself," he agreed pleasantly, smiling at her. "So, what made you change your mind?"

"Oh, I have a singularly inquisitive thought process," she enthused with a grin. "I hear you've been conducting some very interesting research, and after some thought, I've decided that I would very much like to be in on it. Well, that is if your organization can still use me."

"We could _always_ use another brilliant mind, doctor," assured the man. He leaned back in his chair. "Of course you understand that a vow of secrecy will be a part of your recruitment. Our work is very important, and we can't risk outsiders learning of it."

"Of course," she agreed calmly. "I can be discreet, Mr. Tally. After all, we're scientists."

"Absolutely." He stood up, and he offered her his hand to shake. "The organization is sure to benefit from your gracious assistance, Dr. Zoë. I can't tell you how pleased I am to have you sworn in."

"The pleasure's all mine," she assured with a broad smile. She shook his hand, and then she opened her office door for him. "We're going to do amazing things together, I'm sure."

"Indeed. We'll have your paperwork ready by this weekend and get started right away."

Hange waved pleasantly at the man, and she closed the door behind him. "Hmph. What a sucker."

* * *

"Hey Levi, I'm in!"

Levi paused with his breakfast burrito halfway to his lips. "Heh. That was fast."

On the other end of the line, Hange chuckled. "Well, they've been after me for months now. Is it really so surprising?"

"I guess not." Levi took a bite and he chewed and swallowed before speaking again. "Shit, this is bad."

"I thought it was _good_ ," protested Hange, sounding disappointed. "You wanted me to join their organization, right?"

"No, I mean this burrito," he clarified. He grimaced at the wrapped food item in his hand. "It sucks ass."

Hange chortled with amusement. "Levi and fast food doesn't mix well, I suppose."

"No shit," he grumbled. "I'm gonna be farting up a storm later."

Hange started to cackle uncontrollably. "Careful, tiny captain. You might spoil your reputation of being immaculate. I can just picture you lifting off like a rocket, too."

"Ha fucking ha," he muttered. He took another bite and he scowled accusingly at the burrito. "What in the hell are these things made of, anyway?"

"Refried beans and jalapenos, mostly," reasoned Hange between snickers. "So what possessed you to purchase such a thing, anyway? I'm having trouble picturing you eating processed food."

Levi shrugged, absently pacing in a circle outside the RV. "We needed some quick food. It's kind of hard to make home cooked meals every damned day under this situation. Eren recommended these breakfast burritos. His taste is shitty."

"Oh, it can't be _that_ bad," she admonished. "I actually like breakfast burritos. You're just too damned picky."

"Whatever." Levi wiped his mouth off, and he went to the picnic table to have a sip of his orange juice. "So you're in, now. That's good. You'll report anything you learn about their plans for Eren, right?"

"Absotively," she promised. "It might take a while before I get any substantial information, though. I'm sure they don't just hand out top-secret project info to newbies. Oh, and speaking of Eren, how is he holding up? I'm a bit worried about him."

Levi glanced at the RV, and he could see movement inside as Eren went from one end of it to the other. "He's doing better than I thought he would, actually. He's recalled his mother's death and my own. It was a hard blow for him, but he's holding together so far."

Hange sighed. "Damn it. Those were the two memories I was most worried about, too. How are you doing, grumpy? Are you feeling okay?"

Levi shrugged, and he sat down at the picnic table. "Not too bad. It's seeing him fucking cry that eats at me the most, but there's no help for it."

"I'm sorry, my dear." Hange's voice was sincerely regretful. "If I could take it back…oh, who am I kidding? I'd do it again. Eren _needs_ those memories. He half-recalled some of them as it was, and I just couldn't turn him down."

Levi compressed his lips briefly, but he could not deny her observation. "Look, I'm not happy with how hard it's hit him, but…I think you made the right call, four eyes. Eren wouldn't have let it go. I see that now, and I've got no right to dictate his decisions. You did what I lacked the balls to do myself."

"Well," she sighed, "there is _some_ good that can come of this. With the return of his memories, Eren will be able to take better care of himself. Do you have a spare set of ODM gear to give to him?"

"Yeah, actually." Levi smirked a little. As usual, the crazy bitch was thinking along the same lines as he was. "I figured after breakfast I'd let him try it out. Plenty of big-ass trees around here for him to practice maneuvers on."

"Excellent!" Enthused Hange. "I'm sure using the gear again will be great for him. He'll feel right at home, Levi!"

"As long as he doesn't crash into a tree," grumbled the agent. "We'll see how it goes."

* * *

Eren didn't quite know what to think when his lover presented him with a full set of ODM gear to try out. He remembered using it, but he also remembered the difficulties he'd faced in the beginning, thanks to Shadis purposefully sabotaging his training gear to try and make him scrub out.

"Are you sure about this?" Eren murmured as Levi secured the harness straps over his jeans and t-shirt. "I mean, it's been literally a lifetime since I last put this stuff on."

Levi's pale gaze met his as the smaller man tightened one of the straps. "Don't doubt yourself, brat. I've got faith in you, and it's best for you to be adept at using this shit. I'll feel better knowing you can mobilize with the gear if the situation ever calls for it. Just be prepared. It's going to be uncomfortable at first, I'm sure. When you deploy the wires, they're going to yank you and you'll probably suffer some chafing in the beginning. Just go with your instincts, Eren. I'll be right at your side the entire time."

Eren swallowed and he nodded. Like he could ever refuse Levi anything. He was understandably nervous, but the feel of the harness wasn't exactly foreign to him. He watched as his lover secured his own set of ODM gear, and he admired Levi's ass as the smaller man bent over to buckle the straps around his calves.

"You have got the cutest ass ever," blurted Eren impulsively.

Levi straightened up, and he glanced over his shoulder at Eren. A wry little smirk manifested on his sensitive lips. "Just be sure to watch where you're going, Jaeger. If you put all of your focus into staring at my ass, you'll end up flattened."

Eren blushed. "Got it. Sorry…I'll try not to stare too much."

He approached the other man and he put his arms around him. "I can't promise too much, though. Anybody with a sex drive would have trouble ignoring this fine ass of yours."

Greatly daring, Eren reached down to cup the derriere in question and he gave it a firm little squeeze. "Hot thing."

"Hey, keep your mind on business," protested Levi—even though he pushed his ass backwards against the gripping hands on it. "The fucking can come later, shitty brat."

Eren chuckled, and he captured Levi's mouth in a quick, affectionate smooch. "Yes sir."

* * *

"Excuse me, but are you Agent Jinn?"

Eld blinked in surprise at the rather adorable, petite young woman that had approached him. He damned near told her that he could be whomever she wanted him to be, but he caught himself before spouting drivel. "Yes, that would be me. Er…who are you?"

She smiled up at him, and she offered her hand to shake. "Agent Ral. Petra Ral. I just transferred here after Agent Ackerman requested for me to join his team! I hear you're his right-hand man, so I'll be working under you while he's away, sir."

"Oh, wow." Eld took her small hand in his, grasping it gently. "The pleasure's all mine. Mind if I call you Petra, or would that be unprofessional of me?"

She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Not at all, sir. We'll be working together after all, so why shouldn't you call me by my first name? May I call you Eld?"

"You can call me horseshit if you want," he blurted…and then his face turned beet red. "Uh, I'd rather you just call me Eld, though."

Petra giggled charmingly. "You're funny! Don't worry; I won't be calling you 'horseshit', sir. Well, I should get to my new office and set myself up! I'm so excited to be here, but I'm a little disoriented. First time in Trost, after all!"

"Hey, if you need anything, just give me a yell," he offered with a smile. "I didn't even know the boss was bringing in someone new, but I'm glad to have you on the team, Petra."

"Thanks!" She gave him a little wink that had him immediately flustered, and Eld watched her go as she turned to walk away down the corridor.

"Wow…cute," he muttered. "Thank you, boss."

Of course if Levi caught him trying to flirt with the new girl, he'd probably hand Eld's ass to him on a platter. Thinking of his superior, the blond man decided to call him up and let him know that his new recruit was there at the office.

* * *

"Ah, fuck! Eren, keep training. I've got to catch this phone call."

"Yes sir!" Eren soared through the air, slightly wobbly as he adjusted to the experience of using ODM gear after more than two centuries of inexperience.

"And don't hit a tree," cautioned Levi. He brought the phone to his ear and he watched Eren's maneuvers from the ground. "What's up, Eld?"

"Hey boss, I thought you might like to know your new recruit showed up at the office just now," answered Agent Jinn. "She's as cute as a button! Where'd you find her?"

"Tarsus Valley branch," muttered Levi distractedly…and then he digested what Eld had just said. He'd never gone after Petra in the past—that was Oluo's thing. Eld had a fiancé back then, so macking on Petra Ral wasn't part of his routine. In this life, however, he was currently single and she was an attractive girl by anyone's standards. "Hey, keep it professional, Jinn. If I come back to a sexual harassment lawsuit, it's going to be your ass."

"Hey, what do you take me for?" protested Eld with a chuckle. "I'm not some creep, Levi. I can practice some restraint."

"Better than Oluo," grumbled the captain.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Never mind. Just remember she's your coworker and try not to think with your pecker, understood?"

There was a shrug in Eld's voice. "Sure, boss. Uh, you won't hold it against me if I try to um…court her, right? I won't be a creep, I promise."

Levi sighed, and he kicked a rock. "Court" her. Yeah. He supposed Eld would show more restraint than his former team-mate. "Just watch yourself and back off, if she shows even the slightest bit of discomfort. You're in a position of power over her, Jinn. Don't make her feel threatened. I brought her in because she's got good records, so don't fucking blow it by turning into a stalker."

"Of course," promised the blond agent. "I'm respectful of women. You know that."

Levi nodded. "And that's the only reason I'm not shooting you down immediately and having you suspended for even suggesting going after her. You treat Petra Ral as a comrade in arms, first and foremost."

"Totally. I hear you, sir."

Levi resisted another sigh. He really hadn't anticipated Eld going after Petra. That poor girl seemed to draw unwanted male attention no matter what she did. "I'm holding you to that, Eld. Hey, I've got to let you go. I'm teaching Eren to use the ODM gear and I don't want him hugging a tree while my back is turned."

"Whoa, you're letting that guy use that gear you fly around on?" Eld sounded genuinely horrified. "Isn't that kind of…dangerous, boss?"

"Probably," agreed Levi smoothly. He looked up when he heard Eren hoot, and he couldn't resist a small huff of amusement. "He's taking to it like a natural, though. I know what I'm doing."

"Okay…if you say so." Eld didn't sound quite convinced. "Take care, sir. I'll let you know if there are any new developments with our case. Try not to let our client kill himself, all right?"

"I'll keep that in mind," promised Levi dryly. "Watch yourself, Agent Jinn."

He hung up with his subordinate, and he deployed his gear to follow Eren deeper into the woods.

* * *

"This is _amazing_!"

Eren was having so much fun flying through the air on the wires. The hiss of the gas canisters followed in his wake as he flipped and soared between the trees. It felt completely natural, and his beaming smile conveyed his exuberance. He was born to do this. He definitely didn't possess Captain Levi's grace, but he'd taken to it a lot faster than he'd expected.

"Levi, everyone in your agency should use this stuff!"

"Slow down," cautioned Levi. "You're using up your fuel too fast, Jaeger."

"Yes sir!" Eren practiced a bit more restraint on his use of the triggers, and he swooped around to come back at his lover. Unfortunately, he miscalculated Levi's position. He shouted impulsively as he collided with the other man, and they both went tumbling in a tangle of wires to the forest floor.

"Shit! I'm sorry, Captain!"

"You fucking moron," grunted Levi, pinned beneath the taller man.

Eren tried to get off of him, but the wires of their ODM gear were enwrapped around the both of them. Flushed with embarrassment, he gave Levi a sheepish look and he brushed a fallen leaf out of the agent's dark hair. "Sorry. I didn't mean to run into you!"

Levi stared up at him with a blank expression, and then he started to quiver. Perplexed, Eren blinked down at him and he wondered if his lifespan was going to be cut abruptly short. Levi's breath huffed between his lips, and it took Eren a moment to comprehend that the man was actually _laughing_ quietly.

"Christ, Jaeger," sputtered Levi, his eyes narrowing with subtle mirth. "I'd say you've got two left feet, but that doesn't really count with ODM gear."

Eren dropped his head to Levi's shoulder, and he chuckled bashfully. "You okay? I ran into you pretty hard."

"I'm fine." Levi tugged Eren's hair gently, forcing him to lift his head. "I think today's lesson is over with, you clumsy bastard."

Eren smiled down at him. Levi looked so cute with his hair spread out and disheveled. He lowered his mouth to the other man's for a deep, loving kiss. "I'll do better next time," he vowed after breaking the kiss. He felt his companion harden against his thigh, and he grinned knowingly at him. "Let me make it up to you, Captain."

"W-wait," stammered Levi as Eren slid his hand down to cup him between the thighs. "Someone could come by, asshole!"

Eren started kissing Levi's neck, his lips smiling against the agent's smooth, soft skin. "Nobody's out here except us. Well, there might be a bear or something, but I don't think it would mind."

"I'd rather not have a fucking bear wander up on us," protested Levi breathlessly. Even as he complained, he pushed into Eren's fondling hand.

"Then let's get you inside the RV," suggested Eren between licks. He started to disentangle himself from the wires, smirking at his now seemingly breathless lover. "I'm going to have you screaming my name, Captain."

* * *

Erwin read over Levi's latest report with a slight frown on his face. Right now, Ackerman and Jaeger were somewhere up north and apparently Levi had recruited Eren's doctor. That part was strange and confusing to him. The name Hange Zoë seemed oddly familiar to him, for one thing. For another, she was a civilian. He understood the tactical wisdom of having a person of interest on the "inside", but he couldn't in good conscience condone her involvement.

"Just what in the hell are you doing, Levi?"

Erwin clasped his hands together, blue eyes narrowing at the report. This was a bit reckless of Levi. To get a civilian directly involved and in the line of danger just didn't seem like Ackerman's style. His phone started to ring, and Erwin sighed and looked at it. He didn't recognize the number. Practically scowling at the profile he'd pulled up of Hange, he brought the phone to his ear.

"Erwin Smith speaking."

"Oh, good! I was hoping I had the right number!"

Erwin pulled the phone away from his ear to stare at it for a moment. That woman's voice…he _knew_ it from somewhere, but damned if he could recall.

"Hello?" said the female voice on the other line. "Hey, you didn't hang up on me, did you big guy?"

Erwin carefully brought the phone back to his ear. "No ma'am, I'm still here. May I ask who this is?"

"You may."

Erwin's brows furrowed. "All right, then. So who are you, ma'am?"

"Oh! Right. I'm Dr. Hange Zoë. I'm sure your agent Levi must have told you to expect a call from me, yes?"

Erwin felt like he was on some carnival ride that he couldn't get off of. "Well, yes. He did inform me of your cooperation with our case concerning Eren Jaeger. Forgive me, doctor, but…have we met before?"

"Oh yes, we have!" She sounded gleeful. "You probably don't remember it though, dear."

Erwin pulled the phone away again to stare at it for a moment, before putting it back to his ear. "I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, nevermind," insisted the doctor. "It's not important. So, you big blond lug, how are things? I hear Mike is working with you?"

Erwin's confusion grew to massive proportions. Just what was Levi telling people? It wasn't like him at all to give away such information. "You know Agent Zacharius?"

"Sure I do," she enthused. "He probably doesn't know _me_ though. Well, not yet."

Erwin pressed a finger cross-wise over his lips, perplexed. "I must admit to being a bit stumped, Doctor. Please explain."

"It's a long story, and you probably wouldn't believe it if I tried to tell it to you." Hange sneezed in the background. "Goodness, excuse me! Fall allergies. Anywho, I'm calling to let you know that I've begun infiltrating those dirty mothers. If all goes well, I'll have more information for you within a week, Commander."

"I…well, that's…" Erwin was at a complete loss. He guessed which "dirty mothers" she was talking about, but this conversation was almost surreal. Being referred to as "Commander" touched a familiar and yet confusing note within him as well. "Dr. Zoë, I must say that this is highly irregular. You do realize the danger you're putting yourself into by assisting us in this way?"

"Of course I do," she assured. "Don't worry though, Erwin! I eat danger for breakfast. I'll be fine!"

Erwin's mouth twitched with the threat of laughter. He didn't know this woman, and yet he found her confidence and recklessness strangely familiar. He cleared his throat. "Well ma'am, that's very brave of you. I can't in good conscience allow a civilian to get involved in—"

"Too late," she interrupted gleefully. "I'm already in, you overly serious giant of a man. I'm not about to let these jerkoffs get within a _foot_ of my darling patient, and if this is how I can help to protect him, then this is what I'm doing."

"Dr. Zoë," Erwin said as patiently as he could, "while I can certainly appreciate your devotion to Mr. Jaeger, this is a very dangerous thing. Please consider your own safety."

"I already have, and believe me when I say I can take better care of myself than most people think." Hange's voice took on a serious tone. "If you had your memories, you'd already know that, Erwin."

Again perplexed, Erwin frowned. This was as strange as some of his conversations with Levi. Did this woman know him from a past life too? "I'm afraid I don't follow you, doctor."

"That's okay," she replied. "Nobody really does! Just hang tight, Erwin. I'll have more information for you soon. Toodles!"

With that said, Hange hung up on him. The door to his office opened as Erwin sat there staring at his phone, and Mike Zacharius walked in. Erwin stared up at the taller blond with a blank, stupid expression as Mike dropped a sack down on his desk.

"They were out of the ham," excused the other agent, "so I got you a roast beef melt instead. Is that cool?"

"That's…fine."

Mike cocked his head, regarding his superior suspiciously. "Are you all right? You look like someone hit you over the head or something."

Erwin glanced at the bag with his lunch in it, not really paying attention to it. "I just had the strangest conversation with the strangest woman I've ever met. Mike…they didn't spike the water cooler with any odd drugs, did they?"

Mike snorted softly, and he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "If they did, I'm not feeling the effects. Now I feel left out."

Erwin shook his head. He could puzzle it all out later. For now, he saved Dr. Zoë's contact information and he opened up the bag containing his lunch.

 _~If my life gets any stranger, I may need to seek professional help.~_

* * *

-To be continued


	10. Chapter 10

They traveled further north, and the weather got cooler as they went. After traveling overnight through noon, they stopped in another national park after picking up some more groceries, and Eren had the good intention of trying his hand at cooking a meal for them. Unfortunately, his cooking skills were as poor as his cleaning skills and he caught the potholder on fire. Levi heard him yelling from outside the RV, and he shoved the door open with a bang to find the idiot trying to blow out the flaming potholder he was holding. Lurching a little as he started off on his healing leg, Levi snatched up the fire extinguisher, yelled at Eren to put the potholder in the sink and then promptly doused it. Coughing and waving away smoke, Eren looked horribly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I promise I'll clean it up." He looked at the burnt hamburger patties on the little stovetop, and he heaved a sigh.

"At least we got it under control before you burned down the RV," replied Levi calmly. He wrinkled his nose as he looked at the ruin of what was meant to be their lunch, and he stepped closer to Eren to wipe a spot of grease off his face with the dishtowel. "No more cooking unless it involves sandwiches, salad, the microwave or my supervision, Eren."

The singer lowered his gaze and he nodded. "I was just trying to be more useful, but I'm a walking disaster."

"You _are_ useful," corrected the agent. "You're a sucky cook, but you've got other talents."

Levi gave him a little swat on the ass. "Now clean up the mess and wrap up those sad, charred burgers before you throw them away. We don't need the smell attracting wildlife to our camp."

Eren smiled sheepishly. "I used to be better at this stuff. Not great, but not so terrible."

Levi shrugged. "It takes practice and you're used to having someone else cook your meals and clean your home for you. We'll get you sorted out, eventually."

Levi opened the pantry to select something else to make for lunch, while Eren took care of the mess he'd made. "Guess we could do stir fry," he muttered, reaching for the rice upon recalling the vegetables they'd purchased.

"I feel really bad," reiterated Eren. He located the wok in the cabinet and he set it on the stove for Levi.

"Stop apologizing already," chastised the captain. "I don't mind cooking, if you'll clean up the dishes afterwards."

"Count on it," promised Eren.

* * *

Erwin called Levi while he was finishing up with the cooking, and he informed him that Hange was in with the BRS. "I really hope this lady knows what she's doing," said the director. "That conversation that I had with her was stranger than fiction."

Levi smirked, and he added some Mirin to the stir fry for a touch of sweetness. "Trust me, this lady can take care of herself. What is the status with our client's bandmates and crew? Have there been any attempts made against them?"

"None so far," replied Erwin. "The encounter you reported to me made it on the news, by the way. A witness claimed to see a man flying, but evidently he is a local drunk and wasn't believed. One of the occupants of the helicopter was killed in the crash, and the other is in serious but stable condition."

"Hmph. Can you get him into custody, by any chance?"

"It may be tricky," explained Erwin, "because his records are suspiciously spotless, and I have no evidence to use in excuse for placing him under arrest. I can attempt to pull some strings though, and failing that, we will definitely have this man watched closely."

"That will have to do. I'll keep Eren away from populated areas as much as possible until you get the go-ahead to run a sting operation on that organization." Levi had a taste of his food, and he added a little more Teriyaki sauce to it.

"Speaking of the helicopter incident," Erwin said, "how is your injury, Agent Ackerman?"

Levi glanced down at his leg, and he nearly said it must be doing pretty good because he didn't have any trouble fucking Jaeger the other night. He didn't want to throw that in Erwin's face, though. He'd meant what he said to Eren, and he felt he'd been punishing the blond enough for his past life actions.

"It's healing up fine," Levi answered instead. "I'd like to avoid any combat or major stunts for a while if I can, but it should be good within a week or so."

"Good," approved Erwin. He hesitated for a moment. "And the…client? How is Mr. Jaeger handling?"

Levi's mind again went into the gutter. "Oh, he handles just fine, chief. Kind of a klutz in some things, but he's got other skills to make up for that."

Erwin seemed to read between the lines, if the slight change in his tone was any indication. "I…see. Well, be sure to keep me updated on your status each day, and I will contact you whenever there are any further developments."

Levi shut his eyes briefly, and he swore inwardly at himself. He'd just been thinking that he didn't want to throw his and Eren's hookup in his boss's face, but then he did it anyway. "Right. I'll keep you informed, sir. Is that all?"

"Yes, that's all. Take care, Levi."

"You too, Director."

It was a bit late to try acting professional now. The damage had been done and Levi could sense it in Erwin's voice. He hung up the phone with a sigh, and he made the last finishing touches for the meal he'd prepared. He plated it up and he set it down on the table before stepping outside to find Eren. The singer was sitting in one of the folding chairs they'd set out, enjoying the crisp mountain air and surfing the internet on his phone. He looked up at Levi as the agent came up next to him, and he smiled at him.

Before Eren could speak, Levi blurted his thoughts impulsively. "I'm trash."

Eren blinked at him. "Uh…that's kind of random, Levi. Why would you say that?"

Levi looked down at him, and he stuck his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Never mind. It doesn't matter."

"Hey…" Eren stood up and he reached out to rub the smaller man's arms. "What's up, huh? You were fine when I stepped outside and now you're all morose. Did you burn our food too or something?"

"No." Levi shook his head. "I burned Erwin."

Eren's brows furrowed. "Okay…now I'm more confused. How could you burn the guy when he's nowhere near us?"

"I meant figuratively, idiot." Levi ruffled his hair briefly, dryly amused despite his guilt. "I swear you ought to be blond, you little airhead. Come on, let's eat."

"Wait," urged Eren, grabbing Levi's arms and boldly turning him around to face him when the agent tried to turn and go back inside. "Talk to me. It's obviously bothering you. Please, Captain."

Levi hesitated. He sucked at opening up to people, but this was Eren Jaeger. Somehow, the brat had always had a way of making him talk when most people couldn't. He sighed, and he glanced to the left. "He called while I was cooking to update me on what's been going on with the case and see how we were doing. I opened my big fucking mouth about you and I. Didn't even consciously _mean_ to do it, but apparently I'm just that damned petty."

"Oh. So you er…told him we're sleeping together?"

Levi smirked without humor and met Eren's gaze. "That's a rather flowery way to put it. Yeah, he knows. I could hear it in his voice. He's as sharp as ever and the man knows how to put two and two together, even when all he's presented with is a vague clue. I didn't outright say: 'by the way boss, I'm doing our client now', but I hinted at it enough for him to catch on."

"I see." Eren shifted on his feet. "Well, is that really a bad thing? Could you get in trouble over it, or are you just worried about hurting his feelings?"

"I won't get into trouble for it," answered Levi, "but rubbing his nose in it wasn't the best thing to do."

"Hey, he hurt you," reminded Eren softly, rubbing Levi's arms comfortingly again. "He hurt you a _lot_ , in more ways than one. Not only that, but you remember all of it, even if he doesn't. Who could blame you for lashing out a little?"

"It's like smacking a dog to discipline it after the fact, Eren. You've already cleaned up the pile of shit it left on the floor, but if you can't show it what the hell it did wrong, it won't know any better. All it knows is you're mad at it and it doesn't understand why. Does that analogy make sense to you?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah, when you put it that way. Levi, don't feel bad though, okay? If he doesn't have his memories then he doesn't have a serious reason to get upset over the two of us, right? You said he's just got feelings, but no recollection."

Levi met his eyes again. "He told me he loved me before we left Trost."

Eren's face fell, and a flash of jealousy flickered in his bright eyes. "Oh."

"He also encouraged me to be with you," Levi quickly added. "In fact, I might not have gone for it if the big bastard didn't practically order me to. I don't think you've got to worry about him trying to get me back, and even if he did, I wouldn't re-live that relationship again. Once was enough, and he knows it."

That seemed to pacify the singer, somewhat. He cupped Levi's face, and he bent over to kiss him softly. "It's going to be okay. I really don't think you did anything wrong by letting him know, and since he told you that you should be with me in the first place, I'm sure he'll get over it."

"We can hope." Levi took his lover by the arm to steer him toward the side door of the RV. He needed to reconcile his mixed feelings for Erwin, but he could hash that out later. He had Jaeger back in his life, and the most important thing to worry about now was keeping him safe.

* * *

They showed Hange around the Tarsus Valley facility a couple of evenings later when she met up with some of her new "associates". Of course, she had to take a polygraph before they would even show her the location of the place, but Hange was very good at covering her ass and tricking such machines. By the time she finished with the lie detector, she had them convinced that she wasn't involved with law enforcement and she was truly interested in joining their projects. Of course, both were both true and false. She wasn't _in_ law enforcement, and as far as she was concerned she was working for Eren—who also was not in law enforcement. She was interested in joining the organization's team, true enough, but her reasons were entirely different from what they would expect.

It was all very interesting. Though she had an ulterior motive for this and she'd never wanted to be a part of such an establishment, Hange had to admire their state of the art equipment and how organized their research teams were. She would have to earn the clearance to gain access to the top secret shit, but she wasn't too concerned. To her, some of these people were amateurs and Hange was confident that she would impress them enough with her work to be let in on the more classified stuff—namely what they wanted with Eren.

She smiled and greeted people with friendly enthusiasm as she was introduced to each department head and each team.

"You will be assigned to the diagnostics lab for a start," informed professor Henderson, who was in charge of showing her around. "We'll see how you do, and maybe you can move up to another department later. Your records are impressive, Dr. Zoë. It seems a waste for someone with such a brilliant mind to be running a general practitioner clinic, when you could be doing so much more."

"Ah, it's a living. You people definitely pay well, I must say." She spread her hands. "Now, I can't just leave my clinic on a whim, you understand. I operate during daylight hours and I'm closed on weekends, though. I can come in at night after dinner, and on the weekends."

"That would be fine, doctor." He shook her hand. "We look forward to working with you. Please, continue having a look around, if you want. Some areas will be restricted, of course, but I'm sure you'd like to familiarize yourself more with the areas you'll be working in."

"Wonderful," she agreed with a nod. "This place is so big, I'd better start memorizing my way around or I might get hopelessly lost on my first day of working with you."

* * *

"Good morning, Doctor," greeted Kendra Wilson the next day as Hange came into the clinic. In actuality, the receptionist was Annie Leonhart using a different name, but Hange didn't know if she'd just had a name change for personal reasons, or if she was actually using an assigned alias. She checked her watch and she grimaced.

"I know, I'm late," she said to the small blonde woman, a bit disheveled from her late night. "Is my first patient of the day here yet?"

"Yes ma'am, he's in examination room three. He hasn't been here for very long."

Hange breathed a sigh. "Good. I couldn't find my damned keys this morning and I left them right in plain sight! I would forget my head some days if it weren't attached at me neck, honestly."

"You're still on schedule," assured Annie. "Your first patient is Armin Arlert. He's still having migraines."

"I see. Thank you, Kendra."

Hange went into her office first to put away her purse, and then she pulled on her lab coat and went to the correct examination room. Armin, like Eren and the rest of his band, had become a regular patient of hers. His friends didn't know about the headaches, but it was really no wonder he got them with all of the hard work he did for the band he managed. Hange got the odd migraine too, at times, so she could sympathize with him. Presuming that he had someone from the UFI following him around for his safety, Hange put aside her concerns of someone trying to nab him from her parking lot on his way too or from his car.

"Hello, Armin," she greeted as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her. She had a seat on the swivel chair, and she noticed with a curious little frown that the young man had brought his laptop with him. "Having a busy day again, dear?"

"Always," he sighed.

"I can relate," she said dryly. "Now, let's talk about these headaches of yours. I imagine everything that's been going on lately can't be helping."

"No ma'am, but I think I might have found something that will help Eren out."

Hange paused in the act of pulling up his records on the computer in the room. "Oh? What do you mean?"

Armin reached down from the examination table to pick up his laptop case, and he regarded her quietly for a moment. "Dr. Zoë, I've been doing a bit of digging of my own, and I've gathered some information. I don't know if law authorities have it yet, but—"

Hange's expression intensified briefly. "Oh, you shouldn't worry about that, Armin. I'm sure the people working on this will take care of everything. In the meanwhile, you should try to relax and stop working so hard. I'm going to write you up a new prescription right now to take care of those migraines. It's a new formula that I've come up with, and I've been using it myself."

"But…this is kind of important." His blue eyes were studious on her…almost suspicious.

"Then you should take it to the authorities, my dear." Hange grabbed her prescription slips and she scribbled down the medication, dosage and number of pills. She signed it, and then she stealthily wrote a note for Armin on the slip of paper just under the one she'd filled out. She tore them off together and she handed them over to him.

"Now pay very close attention to those instructions, Armin. This is some potent stuff I'm prescribing you, and I wouldn't want you to make a mistake and end up in the hospital or worse."

"Okay," he said slowly, still eyeballing her in that strange way. He looked at the prescription, and then back at her. "I suppose there's nothing much else you can do for me today, Doctor."

"Just come in to see me if you experience any odd side effects, or if the headaches intensify."

Hange stood up and she opened the door for him. "Take care, Armin."

She ushered him out the door, and when she closed it behind her she leaned against it with a huff.

* * *

As he walked to his car, Armin looked at the slip of prescription paper partly attached to the one Hange had filled out, and his heart leapt a little.

 _"Not here,"_ it read, _"Will slip away for a bit. Meet me at Fresca's."_

Armin considered the message, his brows drawn together. Fresca's was a local country club that he sometimes stayed at to get away from things and have some relaxation time. Hange had recommended the place to him due to the massage and spa services. He had a sneaking suspicion that he knew why she refused to speak with him about his discovery…or at least a hope. Otherwise things were even worse than he thought.

Armin saw the agent that had been assigned to trail him and watch over him. He'd been introduced to the man by the UFI director in these parts, and his friends were also assigned an undercover bodyguard. The blond hesitated, wondering if he was about to get Hange into trouble with the agency by meeting up with her and discussing the information he'd found. He didn't want to turn it in until he got confirmation, though.

"I hope it's just a misunderstanding," he sighed as he pushed the clicker to unlock his car and got in.

* * *

"Mama! Those men are _flying_!"

Eren gave a start as he and Levi sped past a family campsite that they hadn't known was there. He heard Levi swear softly as the mother of the little girl that had spotted them gasped in shock. The agent gave Eren a meaningful nod, and he came in for a landing in the campsite in question.

"Good morning," greeted Levi in a calm, level voice. "Sorry if we gave you a fright. My companion and I didn't realize there were other campers in this area, or we wouldn't have started practicing our maneuvers here."

The father of the family put his hands on his wife's shoulders, regarding Levi and Eren with a blend of amazement and suspicion. The fact that they were both carrying huge blades in each hand likely didn't instill him with trust, and he grabbed his daughter and pulled her behind him.

"What are you guys, some kind of specialized lumberjacks?" He eyed the blades as Levi replaced his in their sheaths.

"No," answered the captain. "We're—"

"Artists," said Eren quickly.

When the man quirked a dubious brow and looked at Eren's swords again, the singer elaborated further. "Performance artists, that is. Well, I am, anyway. My friend here is a stunt man and he's teaching me how to use this gear. You know, kind of like a flying trapeze show, but with uh…swords."

"That sounds dangerous," said the woman with wide eyes.

"Oh no," Eren assured, "well, it can be, but it's mostly just for show. You know, like acrobatics or knife throwing at a circus."

The little blonde daughter peeked around from behind her father. "Oooh, cool! Can you show me?"

Eren looked at Levi, who's expression was neutral. There was a glint in his eyes, reminding Eren to call him by his alias. The singer shrugged. "Well, Falke? You're better at it than I am. Feel like giving them a demonstration of our act?"

Levi's eyes widened slightly, and then became hooded again. "Sure. Why not?"

"How would you throw something like those?" asked the man doubtfully.

Levi shrugged, drew his pairing blades and twisted smoothly around to face the opposite direction. "Like this."

As the family (and Eren) gaped, Levi reared back with his blades, released the catch mechanism and hurled them forcefully at the trunk of a tree. They pierced it deeply and wobbled, perfectly aligned with each other.

"Holy shit," blurted the father.

"Edward," chastised his wife, "not in front of Suzi!" She covered their daughter's ears, but the damage had already been done.

"Sorry," muttered the man.

Levi turned to Eren as he replaced his blades with a spare set from his sheaths. "Jake, why don't you collect those from that tree while I demonstrate some moves for our…show."

"Right," agreed Eren, a little shocked himself by Levi's example.

He went to the blades and he struggled to pull them out as Levi fired off his grapplers and got airborne with a hiss of gas. As his lover spun end-over-end up above the campsite, then followed up with a graceful corkscrew spin, Eren forgot he was supposed to be retrieving the blades. He was just as entranced by the effortless way Levi maneuvered, and he started feeling a little breathless as the sight of it brought back more memories… _good_ ones. As horrible as some parts of his past life was, one thing that always inspired and gladdened him was seeing the captain in action. It made a queer flutter of excitement grown in his belly, and that feeling started to travel lower. Eren's heart pounded as Levi levered off the trunk of a tree and performed another set of maneuvers, sheer poetry in motion. The family watching with him gasped and exclaimed with amazement, and the daughter started clapping.

After doing a complete circle through the air around the camp and demonstrating several aerial feats, Levi came back down for a landing and retracted his wires. Eren noticed his little grimace and the barely perceptible way his left leg seemed to give a little on him, and he wanted to kick himself. In the spur of the moment, he'd forgotten about Levi's recovering injury.

"Well, that was just…unreal," enthused the woman. "You were like a bird in flight up there!"

"He was _better_ than a bird in flight," insisted the little girl. "That looked like so much fun!"

The man chuckled, relaxing now that he'd seen Levi's acrobatics. "I've got to hand it to you, son, that was the best damned show I've seen in—"

"Edward," warned the woman, "language, honey."

"—The best show I've seen since the magic show we went to," he revised. He shook Levi's hand, and then Eren's. "We won't mind if you boys want to practice near our camp while you're here, as long as you don't throw those blades around us."

Levi nodded. "We're just two camps over. Campsite seven. Glad you enjoyed it."

A little surprised that Levi would offer up that information but still in that state of breathless admiration, Eren stared at his companion. Levi glanced at him, and then at the tree.

"Speaking of blades," said the agent with a meaningful nod at the trunk.

Eren turned around to look. "Oh…yeah. I got caught up in watching you too."

He went back to the tree, and he struggled to pull the blades out of it. Realizing that doing so with his bare hands was going to be pretty hard, he released the catch in the handles of his own pairing blades and he clicked said handles into place on the embedded ones. Grunting with effort, he worked the blades free little by little, and then he released them for Levi to replace them in his sheaths.

"Well, we'll get out of your way now," Eren said politely to the family. "Sorry again for giving you a scare for a minute. Enjoy your camping trip."

He urged Levi to walk with him after waving goodbye to their temporary neighbors, and the captain spoke in a low voice once they were out of earshot. "Performance artists, Eren? I suppose that's true enough for you. You came dangerously close to giving away your identity with that, though."

"They're just a family out on a camping trip," argued the singer. "Besides, I doubt they've heard of my band. They didn't seem like the sort of people that are into rock music."

"I suppose." Levi grimaced a little, and he reached down to rub his left thigh.

"Sorry for backing you into a corner like that," Eren said. "I was just trying to come up with something fast, and I didn't think about your leg."

"It's fine," assured Levi. "Nice improvising, Jaeger."

When they made it back to their camp, Eren got into the RV first and he stood staring down at Levi as the smaller man moved to follow him. Levi tilted his head slightly. "What?"

Eren's answer came in a fit of sudden passion. He grabbed Levi by the arm and pulled him inside with him. "Come here," he said breathlessly, and then he shut the door and pinned Levi up against it. His mouth descended to the other man's, covering it in a deep kiss. Though obviously taken a little off guard, Levi returned the kiss and he put his hands flat against Eren's chest, stroking it through the green button up shirt he wore beneath his gear harness. The sheaths holing their pairing blades clinked against one another as Eren pressed a thigh between Levi's, breathing heavily with excitement.

"God, I love watching you in action," gasped Eren, breaking the kiss to utter the brief explanation for his ardor.

"Maybe I ought to give you an ODM gear show more often, if it gets you this hot," husked Levi. He started working Eren's harness straps free. "Let's get out of these clothes, brat."

* * *

Armin opened the door to his suite when he heard Hange identifying herself on the other side. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for what may come of this discussion. "Come in, Doctor," he invited. He saw his agent down the hall, sitting quietly on a sofa and reading something. He stepped aside for Hange and he closed and locked the door behind her once she was inside.

"Well Armin, I told my receptionist that I had a family emergency and instructed her to transfer my appointments to Dr. Silverman for the day," Hange said. "Now, what was it you were so determined to tell me, dear?"

Armin watched her for a moment as she sat down in the armchair by the sliding glass door, and he went to his laptop to power it on. Once he did that, he searched for the information he'd taken down, and he brought the device over to her to show her the screen.

"I hacked into their database," Armin informed her. "I didn't get very far before I hit a brick wall, but I found this list in there of people they've approached to join their organization. As you can see, your name came up fifth on the list."

Hange looked. "I see." Her eyes flicked from the computer screen back up to the young man. "Well, I might as well tell you before you even ask. Yes, the Bio Research Society _has_ approached me in the past, and I finally decided to join them."

Armin felt faintly devastated. He'd trusted this woman…they all had. "Why?" he demanded. "Why would you join an organization that's been trying to kidnap Eren and do God knows what to him?"

"It isn't what you think, Armin," she said calmly…and then her expression changed and her eyes intensified with excitement. "I'm a double-agent!"

Armin's face screwed up. "Run that by me again, please? Are you saying that you're with the UFI?"

"Well no, not exactly." She sighed and rubbed her forehead, deflating a little. "Agent Ackerman came to me with a proposal, and I took it. The easiest way to get the dirt on these people so that Levi's agency can go in and deal with them according to protocol is for _someone_ —like yours truly—to infiltrate from the inside and find the evidence needed. These are powerful people, Armin, and because they do have government ties, the UFI can't just barge in and conduct a sting operation without the proper warrants. That's where I come in."

Armin wanted to believe her, but so much of it still didn't make sense. "You're our doctor. Don't you think you might be compromising both us and yourself by working with these people? I'm sure they know that Eren is your patient. In fact, that may be the very reason they've recruited you."

"I'm aware of that," agreed Hange with a nod, "but I have a plan. You see, Armin, if I'm working with them and they believe I can give them information on Eren's whereabouts, the rest of you are safer for it. After all, why go through the trouble of trying to kidnap any of you if they think I might be able to lead Eren straight to them? In addition, there's a chance that they learned about the qualities of Eren's DNA through me. If so, I'm partly responsible for this mess he's in."

She sighed again, and she leaned forward with her hands on her knees. "Call the UFI and verify it, if you have doubts. I really don't know how much they've discussed with you about this case, and maybe I shouldn't be talking about it in depth with you, but I want you to know, Armin, that I am working in Eren's best interest, as well as the rest of you. Call Eren if the agency won't speak with you about it, or ask to talk to Levi. They'll confirm it."

It was Armin's turn to sigh. "I really don't understand any of this. I'm trying to, but tell me something: why would you do this for us? We're your patients, not your family."

Hange smiled rather tenderly at him. "Oh my dear, that's actually only half true."

He frowned. "Which part? You _are_ a real doctor, aren't you?"

"Of course! You're all much more than patients to me, though." She considered him thoughtfully for a moment, and then she reached into the oversized handbag she'd brought with her. She withdrew four small bottles containing some liquid that reminded Armin of cough syrup. She got up, and she set them down on the little table in the suite.

"If you really want all of your confusion cleared up, the answers are in this tonic. Use it at your discretion though, because it _will_ take you for a ride. I would explain everything to you if I could, Armin, but I don't think you would believe me if I tried. Oh, wait…you only need _three_ bottles. I forgot about Mikasa's heritage."

Armin was now as hopelessly bewildered as Erwin had been when he spoke to the eccentric woman over the phone. "What in the world are you talking about, ma'am? Mikasa's heritage? What's in those bottles? Is it some kind of hallucinogen?

"Hmm, I suppose it could be considered that," she mused, tapping a finger against her lips, "but it's much more than that. It won't make you high. It will just…take you on a journey to your past."

She sobered, and she regarded him intensely. "But I'll give you this warning: It's going to change your life, if you drink it. There's enough for you, Connie and Jean. Eren's already taken it and unless I'm mistaken, Mikasa doesn't need it."

Hange replaced one of the bottles in her bag, and she checked the time on her watch. "I'd best get back to my clinic. Oh, and I'm sorry for brushing you off during our appointment. I didn't want to take the risk that someone else might be listening. Call me if you drink my tonic and have any side effects other than recovered memories, Armin."

Speechless for once, Armin just stared at her as she let herself out. He looked at the bottles sitting on the table, and he spoke the only word that came to mind. " _What_?"

* * *

About an hour later, Armin called up and invited the band to come to his suite. Actually, it was more accurate to say that he begged them. He ordered room service so that there would be something to snack on, and he paced as he waited for them to arrive. Connie got there first, and he noticed Armin's distress right away.

"Hey man, what's up?" pressed the drummer as he walked in. "Did something else happen to Eren?"

"No," answered the blond. "At least, I don't _think_ so. Have a seat and eat something if you want. The others need to be here too."

Connie gave him a weird look, but he shrugged. He picked up one of the bottles that were now sitting on the dresser, and he held it up to examine it. "What's this stuff? Looks like cough syrup."

"That's what I thought too, and that's part of what this is about."

Connie raised a brow at him. "Don't tell me you're getting into the drug trade, man."

"Hardly. I'll explain when…oh, that must be them now. Excuse me."

Armin went to the door, and he opened it to admit Mikasa and Jean. "Come in, guys. I've got something really…odd…to discuss with you an I want your opinions."

* * *

"So wait a minute, back up," Jean said after Armin got to the part about Hange infiltrating the organization trying to get their hands on Eren, "you're telling me that our doctor is some kind of secret agent, like those guys watching over us now?"

"No, she's not one of them, but she's apparently working with them," explained Armin. "I confirmed it with Eren before calling you all, but there's more."

He then pointed out the bottles of mystery liquid and proceeded to explain Hange's bizarre conversation concerning that to them. "It was surreal," Armin said. "She was talking about Mikasa's heritage and remembering the past, and she said she's the only one of us that isn't likely to need this tonic of hers. Mikasa, can you possibly shed _any_ light on this?"

The young woman bore a wary expression on her face, her dark gaze fixating on the bottles. "I'm not sure where I would begin," she said at last. She lowered her eyes, seeming a bit stunned. "I had no idea that Hange remembered."

"Can someone please tell me what the hell's going on?" Connie exclaimed, scratching his shaved head. "Mikasa, what do you mean? What is the doctor supposed to be remembering?"

She lifted her gaze and she looked at each of them in turn. "Our past lives."

The others stared at her blankly, and then Jean reached out to cup her face in his hands and check her pupils. "Baby, what the hell are you on?"

"Nothing," she said stiffly. "I'm not 'on' anything. I know it's hard to believe, but we _did_ have past lives and we all knew one another. I remember all of it."

"Okay," breathed Armin, ever the diplomat, "Let's presume that such a thing is possible. Why is it that you remember and the rest of us don't?"

"It's as Hange said: because of my heritage." She glanced at the bottles again, and then she met Armin's gaze once more. "I come from a family with strong recall, and so does Levi—though his was a different family with the same gifts…or curse. Do you remember the exchange between the two of us the night that he came to the concert?"

Armin nodded. "Yes. You claimed that was a biker salute you gave to him."

She smirked a little, and she shook her head. "It wasn't. That was a military salute from a previous life. I recognized him, and he recognized me. I recognized all of you from the moment we met in fact, but I knew that none of you would believe me if I said anything. I don't really blame you for doubting me now. It's something that you will have to experience to believe it. The truth is that we all once served in the military under Levi. He was our captain, and he was Eren's protector, as well."

"This is too far out," muttered Connie. He got up and he helped himself to the mini fridge, fishing out a beer. He tossed one to Jean, too.

"Thanks, bro." Jean popped his beer open, and he took a sip of it before staring at his girlfriend. "Hey, I want to believe you, but this kind of mystical mumbo-jumbo is really hard to swallow. What are we supposed to do, drink that shit down and go on some sort of spiritual journey? Sounds hokey."

"Just a moment," urged Armin when Mikasa gave her boyfriend an insulted glare. "Mikasa, you're saying that you and Agent Ackerman both have these memories because of your bloodlines. What about Dr. Zoë? Is she related to either of you?"

"No," answered Mikasa. "I can only assume she has her memories back because of the medicine she left for you. She was always very adventurous with chemistry."

Armin lowered his gaze in thought. "She told me that Eren already drank the tonic, but I didn't ask him about that when I spoke to him. I just wanted to confirm her other story first before broaching that subject with him. She told me that I should consider drinking the tonic, if I wanted to understand."

He sighed and he ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm really not fond of the idea of taking something that could cause irreparable damage, but there are so many unexplained things going on, and I do want those answers."

"Call Eren," urged Mikasa softly. "Ask him about it and see what he says."

"Well I'm not drinking that shit regardless," announced Jean. "It could be some kind of poison."

"She wouldn't poison us," Mikasa said. "Why would she? Armin confirmed what she told him. She has no reason to try and poison us…or rather, you guys."

"Still, I would like to know what we can expect if any of us go through with this," reasoned Armin. He got out his phone and he searched through his contact list for Eren's new number. "I don't think any of us can deny feeling a connection with each other and with Levi, when we all met. I…can almost believe we _did_ know each other in another life."

* * *

Armin listened to Eren's account of taking Hange's tonic and regaining his memories, and his gaze flicked between his other friends as he asked him questions. After discussing it with Eren and being reassured that it was absolutely real, Armin ended the call with him and he sat down on the bed with a sigh. He looked over at the bottles waiting on the dresser, seeming to beacon to him, daring him to take the chance and find out for himself.

"Eren says we should really think about it before drinking the tonic," Armin finally announced when the others stared expectantly to him. "He says the rush of memories is a bit sporadic. One day he'll recall a flood of them, and the next he gets nothing. He told me it can be overwhelming, and he advised a support system if any of us decide to go through with it. It seems Levi has been taking care of him and anchoring him when he gets a burst of recovered memories that proves too much for him."

"Armin, are you _seriously_ thinking of drinking that stuff?" Connie pointed at the tonics with his beer bottle. "You could wind up in a mental ward or something."

"Eren seems fine," countered Armin, "and I think my mentality is strong enough to handle it, too. All my life I've felt like something was missing, and maybe this is what it is."

He chose not to mention his theory that his migraines were actually caused by his mind trying to remember what it had forgotten. His friends were jumpy enough over this. Armin stood up, and he went over to the dresser to pick up one of the bottles. He opened it up and he stared at the content. "I'm going to do it. Mikasa, since you already remember everything, would you be my support if it gets bad?"

She nodded in affirmation, her expression grim but resolute. "Of course, Armin."

"You're crazy," Jean scoffed. "I can't believe you're doing this, Armin."

"I want answers," insisted the blond, "and if this is how I'm going to get them, then so be it. I don't expect you two to take the risk."

With that said, Armin brought the drink to his lips and he swallowed it down as quickly as he could. He coughed and he immediately went to the fridge to get something to wash it down, avoiding anything with alcohol. Jean looked at Mikasa with a torn expression on his face.

"So you really aren't kidding us when you say we were all together in some other life? Not that you're into pranks, but I'm having a hard time with this."

"I'm dead serious, Jean." She squeezed his hand. "If it isn't worth the risk to you, then don't do it."

He looked down at the hand holding his, and then he cursed softly. "Well, I can't be the only one that doesn't remember shit. Toss me one of those, Armin. I guess I'll do it too."

"Whoa, you're caving too?" Connie frowned at him as Jean caught the tonic lightly tossed to him by Armin. "Great, now there's peer pressure."

"You don't have to, Connie," Armin reminded him.

"Well yeah, but it's kind of like your friends coming back from a vacation you missed and hearing them talk about all the stuff they did without you. Shit!"

"It's not going to be a vacation," warned Mikasa softly. She watched as Jean swallowed his tonic down with a grimace. "It's actually going to be like Hell, but I believe you're all strong enough to handle it."

Connie heaved a sigh. "Gimme the damned juice, Armin. I don't want to be left out."

* * *

"Something wrong?" Levi was hanging laundry on the collapsible line he'd set up outside, and he noticed how distracted Eren was acting. The memories were coming slower now, and more steadily. Thankfully he seemed to have gotten through most of the worst ones already.

Eren looked up from the coffee cup he was staring blankly at in his hand. "Hange gave my band her tonic."

Levi stopped what he was doing, and he peered around the shirt he was in the process of hanging. His expression was calm, but his eyes flashed. "Seriously?"

Eren nodded. "Seriously. Armin called me up asking about it after she told him I'd taken it. I don't know if they're all going to go through with it or not, but I warned him it's a hard process. At least they'll have Mikasa there to help them, if they go through with it."

"Knowing those brats, they'll do it." Levi compressed his lips briefly. What in the hell was Hange thinking, passing that shit out like candy? First she'd said she didn't want to give it to Eren, then she went through with it anyway and now she was dosing the others with it? Who might be next?

Levi went still again, and his eyes widened as a horrible thought came to him. He shook his head slowly, able to picture it all too easily. "Shit."

"What?"

Levi didn't answer. He walked to the RV and got in to retrieve his phone. He dialed Hange's number immediately and he cursed beneath his breath as he waited for the reckless woman to answer. Eren came in with a concerned and puzzled look on his face.

"Levi? Is there some emergency?" queried Eren.

The agent waved him off irritably. He didn't have time to explain. Hange was moving fast with that brain tonic of hers and there was one person from their past that he absolutely did _not_ want remembering it. The man was difficult enough to deal with, without him recalling the steamy nights, the manipulation, the arguments and finally, the death of their relationship.

Eren watched curiously as Levi paced, politely keeping quiet despite the blatant questions in his green eyes.

"The crazed idiot isn't answering," muttered Levi. She didn't even seem to have her voice mail on, either. Deciding on a different tactic, Levi gave up on reaching Hange and instead dialed up Erwin's number. "Pick up, you blond titan," growled Levi.

After a few rings, his boss did answer. "Hello, Agent Ackerman," Erwin said in a too-formal tone of voice.

"Oi, listen to me Erwin," Levi said firmly, "If Hange Zoë shows up at your office with a drink offering, do _not_ accept it."

Erwin's tone changed to one of puzzlement. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Don't drink anything Dr. Zoë might offer you, even if it looks like a soda."

"Levi, are you _drunk_?" sputtered Erwin. "I don't believe I'm the one that needs to avoid accepting drinks from someone."

"No, I'm not fucking drunk, chief. I'm…look, she likes to make these weird concoctions, and when Eren drank one it made him ill. I'm just warning you."

Erwin sighed. "Please explain to me why a woman residing over in Tarsus Valley would come all the way to Trost to bring me a mixed drink?"

Levi paused. He'd forgotten that Hange lived in Tarsus Valley. Still, given how she'd been making the rounds lately, he wouldn't put it past her to book a flight to pay Erwin, Mike and the others a visit. "Considering she's agreed to cooperate with the agency," Levi excused, calming his voice, "she may end up traveling to Trost, if the BRS asks her to. I'm just making sure you know that if that happens, she might try to 'gift' you with a drink. Don't do it."

"I'm beginning to wonder if this woman is stable enough to be involved in this," mused Erwin.

"She's fine to do what she's agreed on," answered Levi. "Just do _not_ drink anything she might offer you if she ever shows up."

"All right." Erwin sounded faintly patronizing. "I will not drink anything that Hange Zoë ever offers me, though I may consider signing you up for counseling after all, when this situation is over with."

"Asshole," accused Levi. "I'd better go. Goodbye."

Feeling like an idiot for the way he'd just acted, Levi looked at Eren wordlessly, schooling his expression back into a calm mask.

"Captain, you kind of...panicked," observed Eren softly. "I don't think I've ever seen you do that before."

Levi parted his lips with the intent to deny it, but he knew that in that moment, he'd been vulnerable and obvious. "Congratulations," he said in a low voice. "Now you know what it looks like on me."

Eren stepped closer, and Levi expected a dozen questions about why he was so worried about the possibility of Erwin getting his memories back. Jaeger didn't ask a thing. He just stared down at Levi with a soft gaze, and he quietly embraced him. Levi didn't quite know how to react to that at first, and then he closed his eyes and embraced him back.

* * *

Mike saw the frown on Erwin's lips when the director hung up with Levi. He looked up from his paperwork at the boss, and he smirked a little. "What was that about? Sounded interesting from over here."

Erwin put his cellphone away, and he met the other blond's gaze. "I really have no damned idea. Lately every phone call I get seems to be a crank call. Mike, let's clock out a half hour early and go for some drinks. I feel I could use one now."

* * *

-To be continued


	11. Chapter 11

He didn't realize he was screaming out loud. Caught up in his nightmares, Eren didn't even feel his companion shaking him at first. He saw his father, he saw his mother again getting devoured, and he saw his friends fall in battle.

"Jaeger, snap out of it," came a familiar, masculine voice. With a gasp, the singer snapped his eyes open and he stared blankly into the darkness. He couldn't make out the features of the person hovering over him, and he didn't know where he was. He knew that voice though, and the shadowed profile was familiar to him.

A lamp clicked on, bathing the room with warm light. Panting and trembling, Eren could now see the person occupying the bedding with him, and awareness returned to him. "C-Captain," he moaned, curling up against him. He could feel the reassuring thump of Levi's heart beneath the bare, hard chest he pressed his cheek against, and he clung to him.

"Calm down," advised Levi in a soft, authoritative voice. "Deep breathes, Eren."

Eren shuddered and closed his eyes. He didn't dare try to speak until he could settle his nerves. He just held onto his lover and took comfort in his embrace. After a while, he tilted his head back to look at Levi's face. "They died," he whispered. "All of them, eventually."

Levi cocked his head. "Who, Eren? The titans?"

Eren shook his head, and an abrupt sob ripped through him. "Friends," he mumbled, pressing his face against Levi's chest again. "My…friends. Hange too…and Erwin."

Levi stroked his hair slowly, his breath halting for a moment. "You were the last man standing."

"Uh-huh," confirmed Eren. He couldn't control the desolation in his voice.

Levi sighed softly.

* * *

It was ironic that Levi remembered telling Eren to stay alive for as long as possible. He'd said it with the last of his breath, and he'd meant it. Apparently the brat managed to follow his orders, but the cost to Eren's emotional state was terrible. Levi actually felt lucky that he'd fallen himself before he could bear witness to the others' demise…and Eren's. The shock and trauma of regaining the memory of seeing what remained of his loved ones fall before him was too great for Levi to calm Eren down with simple comfort alone. Not knowing what else to do, Levi gave him a couple of the stronger pain pills that Hange left for him, and he stayed by his side until Eren drifted off under the effects.

Once he was down, Levi went to take a piss and after washing his hands, he had a seat at the computer console and opened up his laptop. Once he powered it up and opened up his browser, he sat staring blankly at the search engine page and he tried to think of what the hell to research. He decided to try the keywords: "Past Life Trauma" first, and the only results were chat rooms and metaphysical sites.

"No good," he muttered. He needed something more…psychology based. Levi wasn't about to have Eren sit in a circle of salt while he shook sticks at him and waved incense around, or whatever method they used. Maybe that was a good meditation technique for some, but Eren's problem wasn't mystical.

"Hmm. Let's try 'Post-Traumatic Stress'."

He typed it in and he propped his elbow on the console, resting his chin in his palm while he waited for the results to load. This looked a bit more promising. He found a site with breathing techniques to help calm the mind—he supposed that wasn't too far removed from the salt circle thing—and he copied and pasted the text into a document. He then went on to find another site with a map of pressure points and which ones could be massaged to ease stress. With a shrug, he saved that information, too. Other results recommended medication to manage the symptoms, and he frowned at those and decided to skip them, for now. If he needed advice on drugs, he could call Hange. He just wanted to find something simple to try for Jaeger to begin with, rather than have the guy doped up and sluggish all the time.

* * *

Levi researched the matter for about an hour, and once he finished, he printed up the results, clipped the pages together and slipped them into the console drawer. He went back to bed and when he awoke the next morning, it was to the sound of Eren singing. It seemed to be coming from outside. Levi yawned and stretched, and then he got out of bed and slipped on his discarded pair of jeans from last night, opting to take a shower and change after he checked on his lover.

He found the young man sitting in one of the folding chairs with a set of fancy headphones on, equipped with a mic. He had his laptop open on his thighs and he was doing something on the touchpad while he sang into the mic. It wasn't a song Levi recognized from the night of the concert, so he presumed it must be a new one he'd started working on.

Levi paused to listen. Eren's voice was passionate and melancholy as he sang of loss, and regret, and then it seemed to brighten like the sun coming out from a cloud as he reached the next verse, now singing about new beginnings.

Levi approached and he put himself within view of Eren so that he wouldn't startle him with a sudden tap on the shoulder. The other man looked up at him, and Levi could see that his eyes were bright and reddened from crying. Eren gave him a tremulous smile, and he stopped what he was doing and took his headphones off.

"Did I wake you? I tried not to sing too loud, but it's hard to tell the volume of my voice with these noise canceling headphones on."

Levi shook his head, and he sat down beside him. He nodded at the laptop. "New song? It's nice."

Eren glanced at the computer, and he rubbed his tired eyes. "Yeah, and thanks. I don't know if I'm going to try and put it on the next album though—if we ever even make one after this. It's…kind of a personal song."

Levi nodded. "When you're done, come inside and try to eat breakfast. We'll get cleaned up after that, pack up camp and hit the road."

Eren unplugged his headphones and he closed the music-recording program he was using. "I think I'm done for now. I just wanted to get the two versus and chorus I came up with recorded."

"Then come inside and shower while I cook," suggested Levi. "I want to try something before we go."

Eren looked at him curiously, but he didn't argue.

* * *

"All right, give me your feet."

Fresh out of the shower and full on scrambled eggs, Eren looked down at his bare feet. Levi was sitting across from the couch on one of the armchairs. "Why?"

"Just give 'em to me, shitty brat."

Eren compulsively pulled the recliner lever on the side of the couch to raise the footrest, and he stared at his lover as Levi glanced at a piece of paper he'd put on the arm of the chair and then leaned forward to touch his feet. He placed his thumbs on top of Eren's feet, over the webbing between the big toe and the second toe. Applying pressure, he held them there for a minute, glanced up at Eren's face and then moved on to inside edge of his foot. He did the same thing there just near the ball of it.

"Um, Captain? What exactly are you doing?" Eren hedged. This was the weirdest foot massage he'd ever had.

Levi glanced at the paper again. "Tch. I really don't know."

Though still troubled by the awful memories he'd regained in his sleep, Eren chuckled a little hoarsely. "Okay, then what are you _trying_ to do?"

"Pressure points for stress," muttered the agent. He met Eren's gaze. "Figured it was worth a try."

Touched by Levi's quiet efforts to help him, Eren leaned forward, putting the seat back in its original position. "For a minute, I thought you were trying to feel my pulse through my feet. I'm better now, Levi. You being near is the most therapeutic thing for me."

Eren pushed a smile to the surface, trying to lighten both their moods a bit. "Besides, your usual method of calming me used to be to kick me into submission."

Levi stared levelly at him with a completely straight face. "We could still try that method."

Suddenly unsure of whether he was serious or not, Eren gulped. "Uh, no thank you, sir. One of my recovered memories is of how damned hard you kick. I don't want to lose my breakfast."

There was a slight softening in Levi's gaze, and a tiny little curve of his lips followed. "Hey Eren, how about after I shower, we do a quick run with the ODM gear? That is, if it won't mess you up to use it after last night."

Eren brightened. "That actually sounds good. I think it would make me feel better, to be honest. Thanks, Levi."

The other man nodded in satisfaction. "We'll see."

* * *

As suspected, a run with the ODM gear did help Eren's mindset. Though it brought back some bad memories, it also brought good ones to the surface and it made him feel free. He loved soaring through the air and though he knew that he would never match Levi's grace, Eren felt that he was getting better with each practice session. He kept up gamely with his companion and he waved at their neighbors as they passed by the family's encampment. He smiled as the little girl hopped up and down with excitement upon seeing him and Levi shooting past. They went deeper into the woods, and Eren practiced maneuvers as instructed by the captain.

"All right," Levi said after about a mile's worth of travel, "let's head back now. Our gas is going to get too low to make it back if we go much further, and I don't like the idea of hiking back to camp."

Eren nodded, and he swung around to follow his companion's lead. "How do you think I'm doing, sir?"

"You've made a marked improvement," answered Levi. "Not bad at all, considering how little you've had the chance to use this equipment since we reunited. Granted, you were never all that graceful in the air to begin with, but at least you won't be needing to fight against titans."

Eren grimaced at that reminder. Titans. What really happened to all of them, after he and his comrades died? Someone somewhere must have found a way to eradicate them. Now the creatures, like the Scout Legion, were little more than legends. Nobody these days believed they had ever been real. Eren had a sick feeling I the pit of his stomach as he and Levi got tugged along by their harnesses, releasing and re-firing their wires when necessary. Was it really over with? If the titans could appear before, couldn't it happen again one day?

"Eyes front, Jaeger," scolded Levi when the singer's ponderings distracted him enough to make him nearly run into a tree. "Pay attention to where you're going. I don't want to have to scrape your guts off of one of these big-ass trees because you flattened yourself while daydreaming."

"Sorry, Captain." Eren shook himself out of his dark thoughts, and he tried to put more focus into what he was doing.

* * *

Eren called up Mikasa after he and Levi packed up and got back on the road. She sounded relieved to hear from him.

"Eren…thank goodness you're okay. How is everything?"

"Everything's fine, Mikasa," he assured her. "We're back on the road, and we're heading further north. How is everyone? Did they take Hange's tonic or not?"

"They all took it," she answered, and she sighed. "Everyone's a little off, now. Armin's in the bathroom crying, Connie's lying on the bed shivering and Jean is just sitting by the window, staring off into space. I'm doing what I can to look after them, but I may have to call the doctor if anyone gets much worse. My hands are full."

Eren winced. For her to try and take care of _three_ people recovering their memories like that must be a nightmare. He thought of the trouble he'd put Levi through all by himself, and he suspected there was still more yet to come.

"I'm sorry I'm not there with you to help," offered Eren sincerely. "I know what they're going through, and while having someone there that already recalls all of those memories helps, you're only one person. I think you should definitely call up Hange and see if she can spare the time to come and help you out."

"Believe me, I'm considering it," said Mikasa dryly, "but don't worry about us, Eren. One way or the other, I'm going to see this through and ensure our friends make it through this okay. I can only imagine what it must be like to get all of those memories back in such a short time span. How are yours coming along, by the way?"

"Better now," assured Eren. "I've had some rough spots when the worst ones came back, but I think I've gotten through just about all of the bad times, now. Like I told Armin; it comes in waves. Sometimes I'll just get back a couple of memories and other days, it's like I'm getting flooded. Just don't take on too much trying to help the guys, okay? You being there is going to be a big help to them, but I know what they're in for."

"Understood. I'll phone Hange after you and I hang up. How is the captain doing now? I understand he suffered an injury while you two were still in Tarsus Valley."

Guessing that Hange might have told her about that, Eren shrugged. "He's recovering pretty fast, but Levi's always been quick to mend. I just hope he doesn't have to save my ass again. I feel bad about him getting hurt on my account."

Mikasa chuckled softly. "Eren, I think it's fated for Captain Levi to get hurt in the line of duty defending you. I'm sorry for saying so, but that's just par for the course."

"Gee, thanks," he grumbled. "That makes me feel so much better. So you guys haven't had any issues with the bad guys trying to come after you, right?"

"Nothing so far," she responded. "I'm not letting my guard down, though. The agency is apparently going to issue us new phones the way they did for you. They don't want to take the risk of anyone tracking us through ours. In fact, I'm not even sure you and I should be speaking over my current phone, Eren."

"They can't track mine, even if they're tapping in on yours," explained Eren. "They can still track you though, so I'm glad the UFI is going to issue you guys some secure phones. Make sure you send me your new contact numbers so we can keep in touch, okay?"

"Absolutely," agreed Mikasa. "Just be careful and avoid being seen too much in public, won't you?"

"I will," promised Eren. "Levi gives me hell if I start getting careless, so you don't need to worry much about that."

He heard Levi curse up front, and Eren frowned and leaned forward on the couch to peer into the driver compartment. "Hey Mikasa, I'd better let you go now. Just make sure you call Hange, all right?"

"Sure. Is everything okay?"

Eren heard Levi blurt out another string of profanities, and he bit his lip. Something was definitely wrong, but he didn't want to worry his friend. "Yeah, I think we're just about to pull off at a rest stop, and I don't want to keep you longer than necessary. Take care, Mika."

"Okay, you too."

Eren hung up the phone, and he went to the front of the vehicle to slide into the passenger seat. "What's wrong?" he asked his lover upon seeing the look of frowning concentration on Levi's face.

"We're being traced," answered the agent flatly. "The GPS just warned me."

Eren looked at the device with startled eyes. "Whoa, it can _do_ that?"

"It's not a run of the mill navigation system," explained Levi, shooting a grim look at the device built into the dash. "Every device that comes out of UFI headquarters has specialty features. One such feature in the case of this vehicle's GPS is the ability to tell the user when it's been compromised by an outside source. I'm not sure how they did it, but the bastards have managed to tap into it."

Levi reached out and he shut off the navigation system. "They'll use it to track us if I keep this thing on. Looks like we'll have to pull over at the next stop and buy a road map, if anyone even still sells the damned things."

"Shit," muttered Eren. "I don't get it. How would they tap into our GPS? How would they even know ours from anyone else's?"

Levi clenched his jaw with obvious frustration, though his expression remained neutral as he kept his pale gaze on the road. "My best guess is that we've got a mole somewhere in our ranks. It's the only plausible explanation. There is no fucking way those shit-faces could have known which satellite navigation signal to tap into without someone tipping them off."

"That's…not good," Eren stated nervously. "If you've got BRS people working in your own ranks, how in the hell are we going to avoid these people?"

"We'll figure something out." Levi glanced over at him, and he reached out to put a hand on Eren's suddenly bouncing knee. "Hey, don't worry. Even if they corner us, they've got no idea just _what_ they've cornered, right? You know how to use the ODM gear. You know the basics of how to use a gun. In addition, they'll have to get through me to reach you, and I promise you now, Eren Jaeger, I will make that a hell of a challenge for them."

Eren forced a smile. "I know you will, sir, but I'd rather you not have to fight to protect me if it can be avoided."

"Yeah, same here. Don't use our internet hotspot until I've checked the connection with my computer software, Eren. I want to be certain they haven't managed to tap into that as well."

"Persistent bastards," growled Eren. "I just want them all to die."

Levi nodded silently in agreement.

* * *

"Knock, knock! I'm here, kiddos!"

Mikasa opened the door to admit Hange into the suite. She gave a little start as the taller woman hugged her impulsively, and she smiled softly and hugged her back. "Thank you for coming."

"Oh, absolutely!" Hange shut and locked the door behind her. "Though I must admit, it was a little tricky for me to sneak away without being followed. My new 'friends' are keeping an even closer eye on me since I've joined their ranks, you know."

Mikasa gazed at her with quiet alarm. "You're certain you weren't followed here, ma'am?"

"Positive," assured Hange with a comforting pat to Mikasa's arm. "I've got more than a few tricks up my sleeve to shake them, dear. Right now, let's just worry about taking care of these boys, hmm?"

"Right." Mikasa nodded at the bed, where Connie still lay curled in a fetal position. "I think you should start with Springer. Jean is more or less sedate, but Connie and Armin are both having a difficult time of it."

"I see." Hange frowned at the drummer with concern, and her gaze flicked back to Mikasa. "Where is Armin now?"

"Still in the restroom," answered Mikasa. A tortured sob came from the vicinity of said bathroom, and both women looked towards the door. "Actually, maybe you should start with him first."

"Agreed."

Hange approached the bathroom door, and she knocked softly on it. "Armin, sweetheart? It's Hange. Won't you let me in? I know you must be terribly confused right now…probably heartbroken, too. Let me help you."

After a few moments, the lock turned on the bathroom door and Mikasa stood in the hallway and watched as Hange went in. Armin was on his knees on the floor, his eyes reddened and wet from crying. His nose was running and he looked up at Hange, clutching at her long jacket with white-knuckled hands.

"You're…alive! Oh, thank God!"

Mikasa grimaced. He must have regained the memory of the section commander's death. After all, Hange had fallen trying to defend Armin when they got overwhelmed by the titan hoards. The guilt he must be feeling right now must be unbearable.

Hange knelt down and she embraced the sobbing young man, stroking his tangled blond locks. "Yes my dear; I'm alive. It's all right, Armin. Just breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, as slowly as you can. Yes, that's it. Good boy."

Hange rocked him as Armin followed her instructions, his breath shivering in his lungs as he tried to do as directed. Hange turned her head to look up at Mikasa. "Would you mind bringing a cup of water, Mikasa?"

Mikasa nodded, her glossy black hair swaying with the motion. "Of course not, ma'am. I'll be right back."

She hurried into the main room of the suite, and she paused for a second to tuck the comforter around Connie's shivering form. "Just hang on, Connie. Hange is here now, and she's going to help you all."

She couldn't tell if the young man even registered her words, but she could only deal with one crisis at a time. Mikasa went to the mini fridge and she found a bottle of spring water. Foregoing pouring it into a cup, she brought the container to the bathroom and handed it down to Hange.

"Thank you, love." Hange unscrewed the cap, and she held the bottle to Armin's quivering mouth. "Here, Armin. Have a few sips. Take it slow."

Always a model student, Armin obeyed her. His panting slowed and he seemed to be doing a bit better. Hange set the bottle of water aside, and she cupped his tear-stained face. "Forgive me, Armin." The doctor was frowning unhappily. "I'm a selfish bitch. I just couldn't bear knowing and remembering you all and feeling so…alone. I wanted my family back, but I didn't fully take into consideration how much this would traumatize you boys. This is all my fault."

"Y-you're already forgiven," he sniffled. He hugged her tightly and another sob shook him. "I'm just…glad you're alive."

Hange's eyes started glistening with tears as well, and she kissed the crown of his head. "I am too, my dear. I am too."

Watching, Mikasa's vision blurred. She could have forcibly taken the tonic from her companions. She could have snatched the bottles up and disposed of them before any of the boys could have stopped her, but like Hange, she'd wanted her family back. Hange, Levi and Erwin had been somewhat like parents to her and the others…well, with the exception of Eren. He obviously never thought of Levi as a father figure.

"I'll go check on the others," offered Mikasa softly, blinking back tears.

Hange nodded. "Good thinking. I'll be with them shortly, Mikasa. I'm going to give all three of them some anxiety medication and I'll leave a bottle of it here with you when I go. I don't know if you all should stay here for much longer, though. I think you should consider contacting the agency and discussing the possibility of a safe house, just in case. I'm working my way into the BRS, but it's going to take a while before I can get anything solid on them, and I don't want you kids at risk in the meantime."

Mikasa nodded in understanding. "I agree. I'll contact the commander…that is, Director Smith as soon as I've finished checking on Jean and Connie."

* * *

The sun was going down when Erwin received the call from Mikasa. He could hear Hange in the background, and he wondered just what in the hell that strange woman was up to now. Mikasa's words to him didn't exactly lend to his hold on reality.

"Sir, I'm sorry to call you outside of office hours," Mikasa began respectfully, composed yet clearly tense. "We have a situation here, though. My band mates are in a fragile state and Dr. Zoë believes that we should vanish from public view for a few days and lie low. I agree with her. Would it be possible for your agency to set us up with a safe house?"

"Yes of course, Miss Ackerman," Erwin assured with a frown. "In fact, my associate and I have already put that into motion. Has something happened? Are any of you injured?"

"It's complicated, sir," explained Mikasa. "There are no physical injuries, but my companions aren't in an ideal mental state right now. I don't want them traceable while in such a vulnerable condition, bodyguards or no."

"I see." But Erwin really _didn't_ see, and the only thing he could picture in his mind was that the band must have partied too hard. Perhaps the young men abused substances and overdosed? That might explain why he could hear Hange in the background, speaking soothingly to one of them. "Miss Ackerman, if your companions are in need of medical attention, I must strongly advise you to bring them directly to the UFI headquarters in your area. There are medical facilities on the grounds, and they can be properly looked after there."

"With all due respect, sir, this isn't something common medicine can treat," answered Mikasa. "Dr. Zoë is doing what she can for them. Our biggest priority is to get somewhere that the enemy can't find us, right now."

"Understood. I'll contact the agents watching over you and instruct them on where to escort you and your companions, Miss Ackerman. I would like to speak with Hange Zoë, however. Please put her on the line, if you would."

"Yes sir."

There was a rustle, and then Hange's voice spoke through the phone. "I'm a tad busy right now, Erwin. Couldn't this wait?"

Again baffled over the way the woman addressed him with such familiarity, Erwin spoke in a calm, authoritative voice. "No doctor, it cannot. I want to know exactly what's going on over there. These people are clients, and it's my agencies responsibility to keep them and Eren Jaeger safe. I need full disclosure, ma'am."

Hange sighed. "Well, to give you _full_ disclosure, I'd have to give you a drink."

Erwin recalled Levi warning him about not drinking anything Hange tried to offer him, and his brows knitted. "I beg pardon?"

"Oh, never mind. I'll tell you what I can. The boys…er…took some bad acid. They're going to be fine, but they're having a bad trip right now. Obviously they're in no condition to follow defensive protocols if the enemy does happen to come for them, which is why I advised Mikasa to give you a call."

"Bad acid?" repeated Erwin, not really surprised.

"Yes, and don't you dare try anything funny like arrest them for substance abuse," warned Hange. "They learned their lesson, and as you say, your job is to protect them."

"Of course," soothed Erwin. "Legal repercussions weren't even on my mind. I'm simply concerned. Have you made any headway with the BRS?"

"I'm getting there," she promised. "I've been stirring the pot from day one of my recruitment, but these things don't just happen overnight. Be patient with me, dear. I will have more to give you in a few days, I'm sure."

He still wasn't comfortable sending a civilian in to infiltrate the organization, but at this point, Erwin had little other choice. Something about Hange struck a familiar chord within him though, and Levi's reassurances that she could handle herself eased his concerns as well. He couldn't explain why, but as strange as he found this woman, he felt he could trust her as implicitly as he trusted both Mike and Levi…mystery drinks or no mystery drinks. Now, if he could just work out what in the hell Levi had meant about that and why Hange had mentioned giving him a drink.

"Doctor, what is this about a drink? My SAC gave me an odd warning concerning you and drinks, and now you've brought the subject up as well. Mind telling me what that's all about?"

"Oh Erwin, I would love to. Unfortunately, there isn't enough time in the world right now for me to explain it to you in great depth. You're just going to have to trust me and let me do things my own way, all right? Now, I would keep chatting with you, but I have three boys to take care of. You just worry about getting that safe house set up for these kiddos, big guy."

With that said, Hange hung up on him. Erwin pulled the phone away from his ear and he stared at it. "Damn it, I would love to understand just what in the fuck is going on."

Mike walked in at that point, and his brows went up upon hearing his boss utter such blatant profanities. "You seem to be in a good mood, chief."

Erwin looked up, started to answer his sarcastic observation, and then summarily jumped almost right out of his seat when his cell phone started ringing again. He looked at the screen and he saw Levi's alias name spring up. Putting off his reply to Mike, he pressed the answer button and he brought the phone to his ear.

"Yes?"

"Hey Director, I need you to do something for me," said Levi, cutting right to the chase.

"If you're about to ask me to arrange a safe house for Jaeger's band, that's already in the works," answered the blond. "I only just got off the phone with Mikasa. They will be out of public view and under guard by nightfall."

"Great, but that isn't what I'm calling about," replied Levi. "We've got a mole in our ranks, sir."

"What?" Erwin did stand up then, and he slapped his free hand down on his desk as he leaned over it. "Tell me what brought you to this conclusion, Agent Ackerman."

"My GPS getting tapped into is what brought me to this conclusion," obliged Levi. "I've switched it off and we've picked up a road atlas to go by. Hopefully the bastards didn't get a good lock on our location before I noticed the problem and turned off the GPS. Our hotspot isn't compromised yet, but I don't know how long that's going to last. If I see the slightest sign that it's being hacked into, I'm going to have to stop using it and report to you over the phone when we aren't at a location with wireless internet available. You need to find this damned mole as quick as possible and deal with him or her."

Erwin's brows drew down. "What of that new girl you transferred from Tarsus Valley? Petra Ral, isn't it? Perhaps its her."

"Not a chance in the world," stated Levi with certainty. "You can look into her if you want, but I'm telling you now it would be a waste of effort and time."

"And how can you be certain of that?" Erwin demanded. Like some of his other associates and Hange, Petra had an oddly familiar feel about her…but a good agent never overlooked any possible suspects, no matter how unlikely their guilt might be.

"Call it a gut feeling," said Levi calmly. "You'll do what you want, though. I'm telling you it's a lost cause with her, but if you don't trust my judgment—"

"I trust your judgment, Levi," Erwin cut in quickly. Hell, on some days he trusted Levi's judgment better than his own, though the man had an increasingly often habit of confusing the shit out of him. "If you say that you trust Agent Ral, I'll take your word for it. Have you run into any opposition yet since discovering the trace on your GPS?"

"No, not yet," answered Levi grimly. "I just wanted to report to you and warn you that if you stop getting daily updates via email from me, it's because our onboard internet services have been breached. Hopefully the damned firewall is going to be enough to keep the fuckers out, but I'm not keeping my fingers crossed over that."

"Nor should you," approved Erwin. "Keep me informed when possible, Agent. I'll touch bases with you when and if we succeed in ferreting out our mole."

"Right. Good luck, sir."

"To you as well," answered the director. He ended the call and he looked over at Mike. His instinctive trust in the man was all that stopped him from keeping this new information to himself. "We have a problem."

Mike snorted softly. "Just another typical day for us."

Erwin smirked. "It does seem that way, doesn't it? Ackerman believes we have an imposter within our ranks. It seems you and I have some overtime coming to us."

"Great. Just what I wanted to hear."

* * *

Hange didn't go with them when the agents came to the door to escort the band and their manager to the arranged safe house. She wished the kids good luck, hugged each of them and got into the rental car she was temporarily using. She drove back toward her office, parked in the lot of the grocery store a block away and she walked to her clinic. She switched to her regular car to drive out to the research compound outside city limits. She glanced in her rearview mirror and she smirked when she saw the telltale blue sedan following her from an inconspicuous distance. They never used the same cars to tail her, just like Hange had started to use the rental car whenever she needed to go anywhere without being followed. The blond wig she wore while coming or going from the rental car seemed to help a bit, but she wasn't reckless enough to think that would keep them off her ass indefinitely.

"Not to worry," she said, reaching down and over to the passenger seat to pat the gun case resting there. "If you fellows think I'm incapable of dealing with you if I have to, you are sadly mistaken."

So far, so good. She was right on time for her evening shift at the research facility. Her primary goal as of now was to impress them enough to offer her a transfer to their main research facility in Trost. That was where she was sure she would _really_ find the answers she was after. Yes, they recruited out of Tarsus Valley and they did run experiments at that branch's facility, but the major stuff was all in Trost. It was really no wonder they sent people after Eren when his band toured there. They couldn't have asked for a more perfect opportunity. Hange suspected that if they ever _did_ succeed in abducting him, Trost was where they would take Eren for whatever plans they'd formulated for him.

"What _are_ you people trying to do?" Hange muttered under her breath, intrigued despite her core motives. It stood to reason that if Eren had the coordinate as she suspected, then they wanted to make use of that power as a weapon. She'd already seen some of the viral weapons they were developing for use against other countries, should war ever break out. The ability to control the minds of their fellow humans would be a phenomenal power to have, and she honestly couldn't blame them for their interest in Eren, if they really did know about it. What still worried Hange the most was _how_ they got this information, and she vowed to put a bullet into the head of whomever was responsible, if one of her own employees were to blame.

"Annie," murmured Hange thoughtfully. It wouldn't surprise her a bit if the culprit was the petite blonde. She couldn't just go shooting her without any evidence though. Telling the police that she was a murdering piece of shit in a past life wasn't going to cut it as a defensible motive. Hange sighed.

"I'm sorry, Eren. Because I wanted to keep my own eyes on her, I might have inadvertently caused you all of this grief by hiring Annie when she applied."

But Annie wasn't the only suspicious employee. Evidently, Jason Hutch was also going under an alias, so he was just as likely a suspect. Hell, maybe they were _both_ spies for the BRS. One couldn't move too hastily when it came to progress, though. Hange was having both of them watched, and the UFI had them under investigation as well. If either of them slipped even a little, they'd be dealt with swiftly. The only question was whether or not the UFI would get to them before Hange, when that happened. If she got to them first…well…

Hange patted her gun case again, easily picturing herself blowing a hole right through Annie Leonhart's scull. It was a rather satisfying mental image, proving that even with hundreds of years separating the past life from the present one, some things simply could not be forgiven.

* * *

Eren took over driving after night fell. As he took the next exit to another interstate, he suddenly laughed. Half-dozing in the passenger seat beside him, Levi jerked a little at the sound and he looked at him in puzzlement. "What the hell was that about? You're not getting giddy on me, are you? If you need a nap, just say so and we'll pull off at the next rest stop and park it."

Eren shook his head. "No, I'm wide awake. It's okay, Levi. I just got one of the nicer memories back and it tickled me."

"Hmm?" Levi sat up straighter, stretching a bit. "What memory was that?"

"It's a little embarrassing," confessed Eren, blushing. "I was such a fucking geek."

Levi smirked and he settled himself more comfortably in the seat. "I can't wait to hear this."

Eren hesitated. "I'm not sure I want to share it. You'll pick on me."

"Don't tease, you shit. You're the one that got a case of the giggles and brought it up. Lay it on me."

Eren glanced at him, and his cheeks darkened further. "I just remembered you catching me reading that book that Hange lent to me, after you agreed to let me make love to you."

It took Levi a moment to recollect that day, and he huffed with amusement. "Ah, the one with the flowering vagina, right?"

"Um…flowering vagina? I don't think I made it to that part before you snatched the book out of my hands, sir."

"Be thankful I saved you from that part, then." Levi took his shoes off and he propped his feet on the dashboard, reclining the chair. "It was like a horror novel, really. I still can't believe you thought you needed to read such trash to please me. Heh… _'How to Make Love to your Man'_. Damn, kid."

"I knew you'd make fun," sighed Eren, but he chuckled and shrugged. "Hey, I was still a kid and the only experience I had was with you. I wanted to be able to try different things, but I didn't know anything."

"Having a vagina that opens up like a flower would have certainly been different," Levi mentioned relentlessly.

"I wish I hadn't even remembered," grumbled Eren.

Levi reached across to put his hand on Eren's thigh. "Hey, you were that worried about pleasing me that you started reading that godawful peace of smut. If nothing else, that leaves no doubt to your devotion." He squeezed his thigh before patting it firmly. "Truth is it was kind of flattering."

"Really?" Eren had his doubts about that, but it wasn't like Levi to blow smoke up someone's ass. He looked at his lover with a hopeful little smile. "You really felt flattered?"

Levi shrugged. "Amongst other things. Nobody's ever done something like that for me before. Other partners just did what they wanted."

Eren frowned, understanding that statement included Erwin. Was he _really_ the only one Levi had ever been with that cared more for the captain's pleasure than for his own? Eren reached out to put a hand on the other man's knee. "I'll always strive to make you feel good, Levi. Not just because I love the way you look and the sounds you make when you're in pleasure."

"I know that, Eren. Why the hell do you think I couldn't resist you? Honestly you're the best sex I've ever had, and that's got as much to do with how attentive you are as it does with how big your cock is."

Eren grinned, flattered himself by the praise. "Well, I've had more practice in this life."

"Hmph. Just remember not to give me any details of that 'practice'.

"I think you're a little spoiled because you were my first in the previous life," teased Eren. "Funny how that table turned on us in this one."

Levi turned his head to look at him. "You've got to admit there's nothing quite like the thrill of popping someone's cherry, brat."

Eren thought of that first time when Levi started out riding him. Yes, he couldn't deny the thrill of knowing that he was the very first man to ever be inside of Ackerman like that, at least in this existence. There was some primitive satisfaction in it that he couldn't fully understand. He almost wished he'd been a virgin their first time too, but then the sex wouldn't have been as satisfying for Levi. He might have even hurt him by accident. He'd already come close to doing that, simply because Levi was so impatient to be penetrated.

"All right, I admit it was exciting," agreed Eren. "Why is that, though? Seems kind of silly to get that worked up over being someone's first."

"We're men," excused Levi. "Apparently that's the way some of us just think. Knowing we've been the first one there satisfies our territorial nature, I guess. Maybe it just depends on the person, too."

His observation made Eren shyly curious. "So then did you get a thrill out of being my first, back in the old days?"

Levi met his eyes again, and he nodded slowly. "Hell yes. I opened my eyes when you first entered me, and the look on your face was something I never forgot. It was like the expression some people get when they see a rainbow for the first time."

"Wow, I really am a geek," snorted Eren. "I'm afraid to ask what my orgasm face looks like."

Levi leaned over to nibble Eren's ear. "Sexy. That's what your orgasm face looks like."

Eren squirmed to adjust his crotch as Levi's bold words had an immediate effect on him. "How much further are we going to drive before parking for the night?"

"Mm, feeling tired after all?"

Eren glanced from his crotch to his lover, and he shook his head. "Different problem."

"Oh, I see." Levi unbuckled his safety belt and he got down on the floor between the seats. He put his hand on Eren's knee and he slid it upwards toward the problem area, watching Eren's face with an unreadable expression. "I could take care of this for you right now, if you like."

"Oh man," groaned Eren. "I'd take you up on that if I didn't think it would make me wreck."

"Hm, still not disciplined enough to drive and play at once? That's a shame." Levi took his hand off Eren's crotch and he got back up. "I suppose it can wait until our next stop, then."

"Tease," accused Eren with a huff. He sighed as Levi went into the back to do something, leaving him alone with his condition to cope with it himself.

* * *

-To be continued


	12. Chapter 12

Two more days of travel passed, and now Levi and Eren were making their way across the top of their country, passing back over to the east five states up from Eren's home state. Levi determined that it was still safe to use the internet, but the GPS was off limits until they could make it to the next town with a UFI branch. He didn't even know if he wanted to rely on the satellite navigation again even if his agency could secure the device. In fact, he wasn't sure he should continue to correspond with his associates via email at all, just in case whomever hacked into his navigation system managed to get into the UFI database as well.

"Getting fucking paranoid," he grumbled.

"Huh?" Eren brought two cups of coffee up to the front cab, and he placed one in Levi's cup-holder before sitting down with his and securing his seatbelt. "Who's paranoid?"

"Me," stated Levi bluntly. "I'm getting suspicious of every method of communication we've got at our disposal now. It's all traceable if anyone has the skills and luck to get past our security measures…and we've got some of the most solid protection software in the world."

"But you said everything looks solid with our hotspot, right?" Eren stirred his coffee and he sipped it gingerly, mindful of bumps in the road that could cause him to inadvertently splash the beverage.

"So far, yes." Levi nodded. He took a sip of his own coffee before setting it back down in the holder. "I'm no computer hacker, though. I know enough about our own network to pick up on it if it's compromised in most situations, but I'm not savvy enough to clean up anything our programs can't block or heal. The phones we're currently using are probably the safest communication devices we have available to us right now."

"So what you're saying is I should probably avoid using the internet on my computer from now on?"

The agent shrugged. "Depends on what you're doing with it. You sure as shit shouldn't be trying to access your bank account or your old email account. I know you've already got new accounts under all of your social media haunts, so that should be all right. My biggest concern is the places that have location services to let you 'check in' with your buddies. Don't even use those from now on, even to try and turn that feature off. You could possibly do it on a library computer safely, but let's not temp fate, shall we?"

"I understand." Eren smiled at him.

Levi glanced sidelong at his companion. "What? Why are you wearing that shit-eating grin? That wasn't exactly a pep-talk I just gave you."

"I don't know. I just can't stop myself from smiling when you worry about me." Eren busied himself with another sip of his coffee, flushing as the captain clicked his tongue with annoyance. "Hey, I _am_ taking this seriously, if you're thinking I'm not. It isn't the situation I'm smiling about. It sucks to have to be so careful. It's just that…"

Eren reached over to put a hand on Levi's knee. "It's like old times in a good way, if that makes any sense. You watching over me and me following your orders. Makes me feel safe."

Levi stared at him long enough to start drifting off the road, and Eren nodded ahead with a cautionary little yelp.

"Sign, Levi. There's a mile counter sig—"

Levi yanked his eyes forward and he hissed when there was a clang and a scrape of metal against the side of the RV. "Shit. Fuck."

"I've never heard anyone sound so calm when they cuss," whined Eren, grabbing onto the arms of his seat nervously as Levi briefly fishtailed before righting the vehicle.

Then there was a bang, and Eren yelped again. The RV listed a little on the passenger side and their smooth ride became rough and grinding.

"Think we've got a flat," announced Levi, compressing his lips. "That sign must have gone under one of the wheel and punctured the tire."

"Yeah, that would be my guess too," grunted Eren as he reached for one of the napkins he'd brought up front and started patting at the hot coffee he'd splashed into his lap.

Levi glanced at the spill on Eren's thigh, and his detached mannerism faded a bit. "Sorry, Jaeger." He pulled off the highway and he put the hazard lights on. "Let me help with that, since it's my fucking fault. Did you scald yourself?"

"Maybe a little." Eren put his coffee cup back in the holder and he held his shirt up a little so that Levi could see what he was doing better. "At least it didn't get on my crotch."

"No shit." Levi diligently wiped up more of the mess, and he sighed. "Go ahead and change into some fresh pants. I'll go outside and have a look at the damage."

* * *

Eren stepped outside in a pair of gray denims a short while later to find Levi standing on the passenger side of the RV, looking between the owner's manual of the vehicle and the now flattened tire. "Hey Eren, you wouldn't happen to know how to change a tire, would you?"

The singer's brows lifted, surprised by the question. "Uh, not really." He scratched his head and he looked at the spare tire Levi had gotten out and the gear lying on the ground beside it. "Hell, this is the most I've ever even driven myself since I was a teenager. Doesn't that book have instructions in it?"

"Tch, you would think." Levi closed the manual and he dropped it on the ground in disgust. "Apparently they took it for granted that the user would already know that shit. Everything in here is about features specific to this road monster, but there isn't a thing about changing one of the tires."

"You sure?" Eren picked up the user manual and he thumbed through the index in the back. Finding nothing himself, he growled in frustration. "Well that's just _stupid_! Changing a tire on one of these things can't be just like changing a tire on a regular vehicle! Why would they leave out something like that?"

Levi shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring through his shades at the offending parts. "Maybe they figure if you can change a regular tire, you can change one of these. I only ever drove bikes before joining the agency, and I've never had a flat in anything else. This isn't anything like changing a motorcycle tire."

Eren scratched his chin, and he opened the passenger side door to toss the manual inside. "Well it can't be too hard," he postulated.

Levi tugged his sunglasses down to peer over them at the taller man. "Do you know how much this RV weighs, Eren? If we slip up trying to jack this thing up and it tips over or drops on us in the middle of it, we'll be road kill."

"Okay, then let's try looking it up online," suggested Eren. "I know you don't want to call for roadside assistance with our situation."

"Roadside assistance is absolutely a last resort," agreed Levi. "But before we try searching the internet, let me make some calls. Maybe one of my associates can walk me through it."

"Who are you going to call? Erwin?" It seemed like the first logical choice, though Eren still had some conflicting feelings about the director. Having regained more memories of the man, he'd stopped feeling so angry with Erwin. He still had trust issues to work through regarding Erwin and Levi, but hopefully that too would fade with time.

"No, Erwin's more of a refined sort of macho," explained Levi. "His skills fall more along the lines of piloting, weaponry and strategy. Car mechanics aren't any more his thing than mine."

"Oh. He's a pilot?" Eren was surprised, though he imagined he shouldn't have been, given that in his former life, Erwin spent a good portion of his life flying around on wires. "Do you have piloting skills too, Levi?"

"Only with the ODM gear." Levi looked through his contact list absently, and he frowned. "Huh. Now that I think of it, a lot of us that came back from that life have some kind of skill or affinity with flight. Erwin and Mike can pilot choppers and planes, I've got the ODM gear, you're picking it up fast, too. Eld's good at air drops when we have special ops missions that require it and he goes parasailing all the time on his off days."

"What about us? My band, I mean?" Eren tugged his baseball cap down to shade his eyes further from the morning sun. "How does playing music fit in with flying?"

Levi glanced up from his phone at him, holding his gaze. "The answer is in the question, Eren. You all get a high when you're playing your music together, working as a team. Am I right?"

"Yeah." Eren thought about it, and a smile tugged at his lips. That was true. All any of them needed to get an amazing high was to start jamming together, and he'd often felt almost like he was flying when he was singing. They also enjoyed thrill rides at the amusement park. Armin didn't really go for those, but he did enjoy riding the gondolas and going up in those revolving restaurants.

* * *

"Mike," Levi said after dialing a number, "it's Levi. Look, we're in a bit of a bind. We blew a tire on the road and neither of us knows how to change one on this damned thing. You used to drive a semi once, right?"

"Yeah, but that was a good long time ago," answered Mike. "Semi's not the same as an RV."

"It's a lot closer than a motorcycle," Levi pointed out. "I've snapped a picture of what we've got to work with and I'm about to send it to you. How about you just have a look and see if you can walk me through it, big stuff."

"I don't get why you aren't just looking it up on your browser."

Levi made an irritated noise in his throat. "Because I'm better at taking verbal instructions than looking back and forth between goddamned pictures or trying to watch some crappy video on public media and pause it every second to take a step. Are you gonna help me out or not?"

"I'll have a look," sighed the Deputy Director. "Hold on."

There was a pause, and after a while Levi heard Mike make a huffing sound. The older man's voice came back. "Sorry Ackerman, I'm not familiar with any of those tools. They don't look anything like what I used to work with, and I might just tell you wrong and make it worse."

Levi sighed. "So you can change helicopter and airplane parts, but you can't help me with this?"

"Hump," spouted Mike, "so you can design and make a set of jet pack gear that actually works, but you can't change your own tire?"

He'd been bested. Levi rolled his eyes, and he leaned back against the side of the RV. "All right, fine. We're both good at what we're used to but we suck at this. Guess I'll try Eld."

"Good luck," offered Mike. "Don't stay broken down on the road too long, whatever you do. We'll contact you if we get any leads on that mole."

"Right. Talk to you later, Mike."

* * *

Levi tried a few more people as Eren watched and waited. The singer hunkered down to see if he could somehow work out how to use the tools himself, but he was just as clueless as Levi. The ODM gear he understood, but these tire-changing tools were just plain strange to him. There was some kind of hydraulic pump to use as a jack lift, another tool that he assumed to be a lug wrench unlike any he'd ever seen, and an air compressor. Looking at it, he thought the biggest problem was in trying to figure out where to put the lift so that it could lever the vehicle up properly to do the changing.

"So what would Hange's 'high' be?" Eren wondered aloud, trying to distract Levi from his frustration when he heard the man's frustrated swearing.

"No telling with that one," muttered Levi, "though drugs or her potions would be my first guess."

"She's a doctor," Eren chastised. "I doubt she's a druggie, Levi."

"I didn't say she was," corrected the agent. "Who says she doesn't indulge in her off hours? She's probably got her own homemade brand of ecstasy or something."

Eren couldn't exactly deny that possibility, but he was more inclined to think her science was what gave her that flight sensation. There had to be something other than substances.

"Wait," Levi said suddenly, sounding like he'd just come up with an epiphany, "Hange. I'll try one last phone call."

* * *

"Wahoo!" The woman with the shaggy brown ponytail swung higher, her booted toes pointing out as she straightened her long legs on the upswing. The chains creaked and the structure of the swing set shuddered slightly.

"Um…miss ma'am?" called one witnessing little girl, "you're goin' awful high. You could fall and hurt yourself!"

"Oh, don't you worry, darling," called Hange with a broad grin. "I do this every day on my lunch break. You just stay behind that fence, all right?"

The swing-set that Hange was enjoying was fenced off from the rest of the playground, and it required a code to unlock it so that smaller children couldn't get in while older kids played on it—though Hange was probably the oldest "kid" that ever used it. The playground was on the property of the apartment complex Hange lived in, right across the street from her clinic. It was all very convenient for her.

"Oh, pooh!" Hange slowed her swinging as she felt her phone buzzing in her jacket pocket, and she came to a stop as she pulled it out to check who was calling. Seeing the name "Grump" show up and recognizing the dirge she'd picked as the custom ring tone for this individual, she decided she'd better answer it.

"Hello, Captain Crabby," she greeted with a smile as she brought the phone to her ear. She rocked forward and back on the swing lightly, her ankle boots scuffing the ground as she used her feet to push herself along. "How are things? All right, I hope."

"Not entirely," answered Levi's voice. "We've hit a snag and if you know how to—"

"Whoops!" Hange's phone slipped and fell in the dirt. She leaned over to pick it back off and she brushed it off before bringing it back to her ear. "Repeat that again, grump? Sorry, you caught me swinging and I dropped my phone. What's the matter now?"

He sighed, started to answer, and then he paused. "You're…swinging?"

"Mm-hmm. On the playground. It's my little daily treat during my lunch break each day."

"Tch…figures. It's not noon, though. It's just after ten thirty AM."

"Silly, you're in another time zone. Obviously I'm a couple of hours ahead of you. Now then, what seems to be the problem? Is the puppy all right?"

"The…puppy is fine," he assured her. "I've got a flat, though. I've never changed a flat on an RV before and I don't get how to do this. I'd call roadside assistance, but you know how I feel about those charges they pin you with. Any idea how to do this? The 'puppy' is getting hyper and he's trying to get into things."

She heard Eren speak in the background. "Hey, are you talking about me? I'm just trying to see if I can figure this out myself!"

Hange chuckled. "Well, I certainly understand why you don't want to pay any of those 'fees'." She'd already figured out the real reason he didn't want a report to go out of his stranded vehicle. She got out of the swing and she fetched her bag, carrying it over to the nearest picnic table to power it on and start researching. "Just a moment. I've never done it myself, but I can look up the information for you and walk you through it."

"That's just what I needed. Thanks."

* * *

Levi did the same for Hange as he did for Mike, sending her a photo of the tools on the ground, along with the model and make of the RV. "Hey, enough," he warned Eren as the stubborn man started trying to line up the jack. "Hange's about to walk us through it."

Eren stopped and he got back to his feet, wiping his hands off. "All right. Do you want me to do it, or would you rather me hand things to you and assist? It's probably going to be a dirty job."

"I can shower," insisted Levi. "You'd probably end up crushing yourself, as accident prone as you can be."

"Okay shrimp, are you ready?" Hange's voice asked on the other line.

Levi put the phone on speaker and he handed it to Eren to hold for him. "Go ahead."

"First you need to take the slot underneath, just a couple of inches back from the damaged tire. Let me know when you find that."

"Already did," announced Eren, and he squatted over to show Levi.

"Yeah, got it," Levi said. "What now?"

"Now you take the bottle jack—"

"Which one is that?" demanded Levi.

"This thing," Eren replied before Hange could, pointing at it with his free hand.

Hange cleared her throat on the other line, sounding suspiciously like she was on the verge of laughter. "Falke sweetheart, maybe you should just hand this one over to Jake and let him handle it while you supervise. He seems to have worked out which tool is used for what, at least."

Her use of pet names and their code names told Levi that she was trying to be extra careful, which he appreciated. He grimaced, feeling a bit frustrated. As Mike said, if he could create working ODM gear—which also happened to be more reliable than the original design—why in the hell shouldn't he be able to change a damned tire? He'd already reasoned out that answer, though. He knew the gear…practically lived in it for most of his adulthood in his past life.

~We can't fuck around with this all day, though. We're just off the highway, and if we don't get this taken care of soon, local highway authorities are bound to come.~

"All right. Eren, you take over and hand me the phone back. Just watch what you're doing."

* * *

After following Hange's instructions, putting some air in the new tire and stashing the tools and the damaged tire in the correct compartment, they got back on the road. Eren had a shower while Levi drove, and when he came out smelling fresh and wearing a clean set of clothes, he joined Levi up front again.

"What?" Levi said when he noticed Eren smiling at him again out the corner of his eye. He didn't dare look at him for more than a second…not after what had just happened.

"I just realized something that's kind of comforting," answered the singer.

"Which is?" prompted Levi.

Eren hesitated, and then he laughed. "You aren't perfect at everything."

Someone else teasing him about that might have pissed Levi off, but with Eren, he just smirked. "You just now figured that out?"

"Well I know that nobody's perfect at everything, but you come damned close," clarified Eren. "It just never really sunk in until now. I've been feeling so useless and you've practically been doing everything since this all started. Now I've accomplished something we needed done; even if I needed Hange's help to do it."

"You're definitely changing any tires that go flat from now on. Nicely handled, Eren." Levi took the next exit, and he spared a brief glance at him. "Of course, if you hadn't fucking distracted me so much, we might not have gotten that flat in the first place."

"Hey, you're the one that keeps lecturing me about keeping focused and learning some discipline," laughed Eren. "All I did was put my hand on your knee and tell you I feel safe with you."

"Talk like that fucks me up," groused Levi, but he shrugged. "I'll admit that was my own fault, though. Shouldn't let your smiles and puppy eyes and sappy words throw such a wrench in my gears."

~And that fucking laugh. I'd never heard you laugh like that until I met you in this life, and now I'm petrified of it going away, you brat. Every time a bad past life memory pulls you in, I wonder if it's going to take away those carefree smiles and laughter again.~

"Captain?"

Levi pushed his dark thoughts aside, realizing he'd narrowed his eyes in his reverie. "What is it?"

Eren was watching him with concern. "You just got kind of a dark look on your face."

"I'm fine," excused the agent, snapping into focus on what was important right now. "I'm just trying to decide where we should stop next." He saw a sign up ahead hanging over the highway, and he tilted his head with intrigue. They were far up enough in the mountains to take a break from travel for more than a day or two, he reckoned.

"Hey Eren…how would you like to spend a few days at a lodge? We can have a break from sleeping in this cramped RV and have a real bath."

"Sounds great," enthused the singer.

* * *

"Well, this place is…nice," muttered Armin.

He and the band were staying at a safe house the next town over, with round the clock security now. They'd decided after much debate to get out for a bit for dinner, and they chose a little hole in the wall diner to avoid larger crowds. Actually it was more of a camper diner, converted from an old mobile home. Over all the three boys were doing better, but they still had moments in the night when they awoke screaming, and the agents watching over them would bust in with guns drawn, only to be reassured by Mikasa and whomever else was coherent that it was just a nightmare.

"Ugh, let's find someplace else," suggested Jean with a scowl when a cockroach scuttled past his foot and under a booth.

"No way," Connie said, sounding dazed. "You'll have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming."

Jean gave him a quizzical look. "What the hell's gotten into you? Are you having another flash or someth—"

"Look," interrupted Mikasa, nodding in the direction of Connie's stare.

Jean and Armin both looked, and they immediately recognized the waitress that was walking their way balancing a tray of food and drinks. She wore a white short-sleeved button-up shirt and a black skirt down to just above her knees. Tall and tanned, her dark auburn hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, her bangs hanging free thick and parted over her forehead.

"Sasha," whispered Armin, pained.

"We're eating here, guys," Connie demanded. He went to an unoccupied booth without waiting to see if they'd follow, nearly tripping over a patron's feet due to being unable to take his wide eyes off of the waitress. He muttered an apology to the truck driver before standing by the booth and patting the seat. "I want to sit on the outside," he insisted of his friends.

The argument was settled. They all slid into the booth together, Mikasa and jean on one side, Armin and Connie on the other. The waitress finished serving one of the other boots, wrote something down on her pad and then turned to face the band members. Upon noticing them, she seemed to sigh a little and then she presented a forced-looking smile as she walked over to them.

"Hi there, welcome to Kipper's! Can I get you folks something to drink while you look over the menu?" She reached up for the pen she'd stuck behind her ear and she waited expectantly.

"Water will be fine for me." Armin was smiling at her warmly, just as happy to see her again as Connie. He checked her name tag and he wasn't surprised to see that at least her first name was the same as it was in the past.

"Beer," said Jean.

Sasha looked at him and waited with raised brows.

"Pick a brand, dumb-ass," muttered Connie.

"Uh, surprise me." Jean shrugged. "It's not like I haven't started getting used to surprises."

"Hmm, okay." Sasha scribbled it down, and she looked to Mikasa. "Miss?"

"I'll have water as well, unless you have any unsweetened tea."

Sasha grimaced a little. "Sorry. The tea here could give you diabetes." She leaned a little closer to the table, covered one side of her mouth with her pad and whispered conspiringly to them. "And just between you and me, don't order the pie. It's a week old."

Armin's mouth twisted a little. "Thank you, we'll keep that in mind."

Sasha then straightened up and looked at Connie, and she hesitated, a little furrow appearing between her brows. "I'm sorry, but I feel like I know you from somewhere. In fact, you all look kind of familiar to me."

"Must just be one of those things," excused Jean before Connie could open his mouth.

"Y-yeah," stammered Connie. His lopsided grin was almost sickly. "I think I could use a beer too. Hey, do you have onion rings?"

She nodded. "We do."

"Are they any good?" His smirk was now a little more confident and mischievous.

Sasha considered it with a little grin of her own. "As the appetizers go here, not bad. Personally I think the best thing we have on the menu is our baked potatoes."

"I'd like a potato girl," blurted Connie, and he flushed when Jean face-palmed. "Uh, I mean potato. A baked potato with the works. With some uh, mashed potatoes and gravy on the side. Yeah, that's what I want for my entrée. We'll share the onion rings."

Sasha chuckled. "All right, I'll put that down, but I'll wait to turn it in until after I've got your friends' orders, okay?"

Connie nodded enthusiastically. "Sure!"

She looked at him with a blend of curiosity and amusement before excusing herself to get their drinks and put in the order for their appetizers. Connie dropped his forehead to the table when she was gone, and Armin patted him on the shoulder.

"Way to play it cool, man," observed Jean. "Maybe we should start calling you 'potato boy' so you two can be a matching couple."

Connie lifted his head from the table and he scowled at the taller young man. "Hey, I haven't seen her for more than two-hundred years, okay? I…I've been wondering if she came back, and if she did how we could find her. I'm kind of in shock to just run into her like this."

"It's all right, Connie," soothed Mikasa quietly. "We've all basically just 'run into' each other over the years. I think our destinies are all tied together. I feel like there's a reason that we've all come back so close in time to each other, though part of me dreads to think of what that reason is."

"You guys think maybe we should slip Sasha that tonic of Hange's too?" Jean whispered, hunkering down in his seat a little.

"How?" Armin queried softly. "Abduct her and force it down her throat? She isn't likely to accept some unidentified concoction from a group of strangers, Jean. It isn't the same as it was with us. We've known one another in this life for a time, but this is her first time to meet us."

Yeah, and even if she does remember us on some level," sighed Connie, "I wouldn't want to put her through that. We're all still going through the process of recalling, and it's been rough."

Armin suddenly tensed, and he started rubbing his temples, staring at nothing with horror in his blue eyes. "S-speaking of recollection, I've just gotten another one. Oh God, why _now_?"

"What is it, buddy?" Jean prompted, reaching across the table to squeeze Armin's hand.

The blond swallowed, shaking his head until his pale bangs fell over his eyes. He scrunched his eyes tightly shut and he covered his mouth to muffle a sob. "Eren," he choked out behind his hand. "Eren being d-devoured before my eyes! H-he pulled me out of its maw, only to fall himself! I…I can't sit here. I should step outside to compose myself."

Mikasa got up, and she urged Connie to do the same so that Armin could scoot out of the booth. "I'll go outside with you, Armin. Just try to hold it together and stay calm."

Connie helped Armin out of the seat since he was clutching his head, and Mikasa put an arm around him and guided him toward the café exit door. Sasha was coming back with their drinks when she saw the pair exiting, and she looked on with concern evident on her face. "Is he all right? Do I need to call an ambulance or something?"

"He's just got a migraine," excused Jean smoothly. "The guy works too hard. He'll be okay. Ah, thanks. Been looking forward to a brew all day long."

"Maybe you could bring him some ginger ale when you come back with the appetizer," recommended Connie.

Sasha gave a quick nod, and she set down their drinks. "Sure. I'll bring that back right away, whether the onion rings are ready or not. I hope your friend feels better."

"Yeah, me too." Connie watched her retreat with a sigh, "Yeah, I definitely don't want to subject her to this if we don't have to…but I swear I am going to try to eat at this place every day for the rest of my life if it means I can at least see her."

"Careful there," warned Jean. "I know you've always been crazy about her, but if you try to start dating her while all this mess is going on, you'll end up dragging her into it as well and putting her in danger like the rest of us."

Connie bowed his head and stared into his beer. "I know. She's not involved and I'd rather it stay that way. I'd still like to try and watch over her if I can."

Jean leaned forward a bit to look him in the eye. "So Connie, why didn't you ever go for it back when you had the chance? I knew you liked her, but I never knew you had it that bad."

Connie smirked without humor and he took a swig of his beverage before answering. "I was too chickenshit, man. I freeze up when I really like a girl. Guess that hasn't changed much. I mean, you heard that craptastic excuse for flirting earlier."

Jean laughed and sat back with a nod. "Yeah. Want some potatoes to go with your potatoes?"

"Shut up," muttered the drummer with a scowl. "Potatoes were all I could think of to talk about. I was just still reeling to see her again. Like it didn't take you forever to make a move on Mikasa."

The other man shrugged. "At least I finally did it." He looked out the window to search for their companions, and he saw Armin sitting on the bench outside the café with his head in his hands, rocking himself. Mikasa was beside him, holding him comfortably and speaking to him. "Maybe we ought to give him one of those tranquilizers Hange left for us."

"Let's just give 'em a minute before we do that, or we'll end up having to carry him back to the car."

* * *

Armin had been the only one there to see it happen. The rest of their squad got wiped out, and he'd been on the verge of being what he thought was the final casualty when Eren, one leg bitten half-off, lunged into the open, slimy mouth of the titan and grabbed Armin's wrist with a bloody hand before the blond could slip down its throat. Armin remembered the grim, snarling determination in his friend's wild green eyes, the fierceness of a wolf refusing to go down, a creature with nothing left to lose.

Eren had yanked him out of the bearded titan's mouth with adrenaline-spiked strength, nearly dislocating his shoulder in the process. Armin had flown out with a cry and landed in a heap on the rooftop he'd just been on, and when he'd looked up again, he saw Eren in that awful, yawning mouth, bracing his broken pairing blade between the top incisors and his remaining foot against the bottom. Straining to keep the monster from closing its mouth and swallowing him, Eren promised Armin that they were going to see all those things Armin had told him about…that they were going to make it to the outside world.

Then, just as Armin stretched out tearfully for Eren's reaching, blood-slick hand, the titan's mouth snapped shut and his friends arm was severed, falling from the creature's mouth to the wrecked street below. At that point, All that Armin could do was scream in loss and agony as the giant swallowed his best friend.

"Armin," urged Mikasa, shaking him. "Armin, stay with me."

"He died for me," whimpered Armin.

She shook her dark head, her long, glossy hair swaying. "No he didn't, Armin. Sacrificed himself for you, yes, but he survived. You remember him coming back, don't you? Reborn in a titan body, and then emerging from that form in his human body unconscious. Think back, Armin. Eren _did_ survive being swallowed. Better yet, he's here now. He's alive, and he's in our band, and he's safe with Captain Levi right now. It's going to be okay, so calm yourself."

Armin nodded convulsively. "Okay. I know you're right…I'm sorry. I got the memory back of d-discovering he was the titan that was fighting the other titans in Trost, and I remember him plugging the hole in the wall with the boulder in his titan form. I just…didn't remember why I thought he was dead before that, until just now. What an awful memory to gain back in a public place…"

Mikasa bit her lip in thought, and she glanced around to be sure there wasn't anyone strange nearby. She recognized one of their agency protectors across the street ordering a taco from a cart, and she took some comfort in that. "Listen Armin, just take a moment to recover, come inside with me, eat, and then we'll return to the safe house. You can call Eren once we're there and speak with him. Would that make you feel better?"

Armin looked at her with tearful eyes, finally lowering his hands from his head. He nodded slowly and sniffed. "Yes, I think that's a good idea. It's a bit childish, but I need to hear his voice and reassure myself that he's…still alive."

"Okay." She spoke in a soft, gentle tone and she stroked his blond hair. "We can do that, but I think until the worst of this memory recollection is over with for all of you, we should stay inside at the safe house. I can go out for whatever we need, if groceries or house supplies get low. If not, we can ask one of our agents to do it for us. I knew going out tonight was a bad idea, but I didn't want you three to go stir crazy."

"We'll do it your way," conceded Armin. "I can handle staying in one place for a while. It's Jean and Connie that are bound to get restless and want some nightlife."

"I know," she sighed. "We'll handle them together. Are you feeling well enough to go back inside now, Armin? The appetizer should be ready now."

Armin nodded and he allowed her to help him back up off the bench. "I'm not sure I can eat anything right now."

"Let's just see if they have a light soup on the menu for you to try," she suggested.

* * *

"I didn't even know Trost had a carnival!" Petra looked around with a bright smile at the neon lights, listening to the sounds of hydraulic hisses from the rides, the gleeful cries of the people on board and the booth operators trying to lure in customers. A man on stilts in a top-hat passed by her and her companion, and Petra giggled when he offered her a paper flower. She accepted it and she tucked it over her right ear, twining the wire stem into her hair so that she wouldn't lose it.

"Thanks!"

Eld smiled at her as she waved at the stilted man, who tipped his hat at her and moved on. "You've got a way with people."

She shrugged modestly. "Well, I have a philosophy."

Eld stuck his hands into the pockets of his long jacket for warmth. "Yeah? What's that?"

Petra looked up at the blond man solemnly. "There's enough misery in the world without everyone being assholes to each other. I try to be nice to people, because at the end of the day they're just like me. I don't know their situation, and if they lash out at me, I try to take it with a grain of salt. There's a billion reason why they could be acting out."

"What if they're just an asshole?" He smirked at her.

Petra absently touched the little purple flower in her hair. "I don't believe anyone is a hundred percent asshole, Eld. Call me naïve, but I think even the dourest people can have their good moments."

He chuckled. "Keep that in mind when our boss has a bad day."

"I will. I have a pretty thick skin. Oh hey! There's a cotton candy booth! I haven't had any since I went to the Tarsus Valley amusement park last year."

Eld took her hand and steered her toward it immediately. "Then why deprive yourself?"

"I probably couldn't eat a whole bag on my own," she informed doubtfully.

"Then let's share it. What flavor do you like, Petra?"

"Um…cherry, if they've got it."

"Cherry it is." Eld stepped in line with her, and she felt a bit of regret when he released her hand. They waited in the queue, and a few moments later they had a bag of the fluffy, air-light treat to enjoy together.

"I feel a little guilty," admitted Petra as they walked the cobbled avenues of the carnival, taking turns tearing off bites of fairy floss to munch on.

"Why?" Eld glanced down at her curiously.

"Well, I've only been at your branch for a few days and here I am goofing off at an amusement park. I really should be working on this case right now."

"Hey, it's the weekend," Eld reminded her, "and we've both been working hard to find this mole in our ranks. We deserve a couple of hours' respite, so just have fun. No guilt allowed."

She smiled and nodded. "Right. What kind of rides do you like, sir?"

"Just call me Eld when we're not on duty," he reminded her. "Rides…hmm, let's see. I like the reverse bungee, the skydiving simulator, the tower drop and…ah hell, just about anything that involves dropping from a large height or hovering, I guess."

"Hey, me too!" Petra stuffed another serving of the cotton candy in her mouth. It was so delicious, and she loved the way it instantly dissolved on her tongue. Too much of it always made her feel sick though, so she was glad they were sharing.

"Yeah? My kind of lady! Why don't we start heading out of the Midway toward the rides, then? You'll love the free-fall pods they just got this year."

"I'm up for it," she enthused."

As they passed through the crowds of people and migrated towards the rides, Petra felt the hair at the back of her neck stand up. Having learned to listen to her instincts, she cast a casual look around, and she noticed someone in a hooded cape darting in and out of the crowds. She linked her arm through Eld's and when he looked at her with surprise, she laid her head on his shoulder and she whispered to him.

"Don't look now, but I think we're being followed."

He leaned over and made a show of nuzzling her hair, catching on to the act. "Where's the suspect?" he whispered.

"Behind us and to the right," she answered. She reached up to cup the back of his head, probably putting more into the "couple act" than was absolutely necessary. She drew him down again and murmured into his ear. "Five o'clock."

She couldn't tell if she'd just imagined Eld's shiver or not. He straightened up and he made a show of looking at the directory map in his hand, looking around first to the left, then twisting and looking to the right where she'd indicated.

"I see them," he said, and Petra almost jumped when he kissed her on the cheek. "Might just be a carnie. They look like they could be part of the Haunted House attraction. Besides, who the hell tails someone in something so conspicuously cloak and dagger? You'd think they'd be trying to blend in, not stick out like a sore thumb."

"Strategically, I agree with you," she murmured, "but they don't exactly 'stick out'. Like you said; they look like they could be working the Haunted House. What does your gut tell you, Eld?"

He swore softly, and he reached covertly into his jacket. "My gut's telling me to trust your gut. Come on; let's find a ride that goes up high so we can get a better look around us. If that cloaked stranger really is following us, there may be more of them."

Petra nodded in agreement. Maybe they were getting too close to discovering the identity of the mole within their ranks. She did her best to look casual and ignorant as she and her companion made their way to the first elevated ride they could find: the Ferris Wheel.

* * *

-To be continued


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's Note: This version of the chapter has been censored to comply with FFnet's anti-sex rules. You may read the uncensored version at Archive of our Own under the same user name that I go by here._

Eren and Levi had just gotten settled into a rental lodge for the night, with their camper parked next to it. The lodge was already stocked with basic cooking utensils, a full kitchen, bed and bath items and complimentary drinks in the fridge.

"Not bad," observed Eren as he looked out the tall windows and sliding door to the deck patio connecting to the den. There was a nice fireplace against the far den wall, and the kitchen had a window opening up into the den. A flat screen television was mounted on the wall opposite the fireplace, with a modular brown sofa arranged in a crescent shape to allow full view of the screen for anyone watching. "How much did this set us back?"

"Moderate, but it was in the budget for this case," Levi explained. He went down the hall opposite the kitchen and dining area to check out the bathroom and bedrooms. "Hey, there's a fucking jacuzzi in this shitter, Eren."

"Oh yeah?" Eren followed the sound of his voice, and he smiled when he saw that there was indeed a two-person jacuzzi for bathing and relaxation. "I know you're going to want to hit that right away." He kissed Levi on the temple. "Clean enough for you?"

Levi ran a finger over several surfaces and peered into the jacuzzi. "Yeah. It's fine. Acceptable, at least."

Eren started to smile, patiently amused by Levi's fastidiousness. His phone started wringing and he pulled it out of his coat to check the number. "It's Armin. I should probably take this."

"You do that, and I'll get the water ready."

Eren nodded, and he stepped out into the den to speak with his friend. "Armin, you okay?"

"Well no, not exactly." Armin's voice sounded a bit shaken.

Eren immediately frowned with worry. "What happened? Has something gone wrong?"

"No, I think everything is going as it should. It's just hard, sometimes."

Eren relaxed. According to Hange's timeframe, he himself should be just nearly done recalling everything—at least the most significant memories. "It _does_ get better, Armin. By the end of the week, the worst should be over with. What did you remember that's got you so worked up, if you don't mind telling me? I've got an earl to listen."

Armin hesitated, and then he heaved a shaken sigh. "I remembered you rescuing me from being devoured that day in Trost, and then ending up devoured yourself."

"Oh." Eren winced. Yes, that was one of the worst memories he'd expected Armin to get back. "Well, I came back, and you know what everyone always said: I'm a suicidal maniac." He smirked a little weakly, trying to lighten the mood.

"I've never thought you were suicidal," countered Armin. "A maniac at times, perhaps, but you were always brave. You saved my life, at any rate."

Eren flushed a little at the praise. "Yeah well, it's all in the past. I know it hurts to get these memories back, Armin, _believe me_ , I know. The most important thing for you all to do right now is keep each other grounded. Don't let those memories drown you, okay? You've got each other and Mikasa…Hange too, whenever she can spare time. You also have me and Levi. Just be strong for us, okay?"

"I'll try." Armin seemed to compose himself a bit, before speaking again in a lighter tone. "Oh, and guess who we ran into today?"

Eren wracked his brain, knowing there was any number of people from the previous life they might have crossed paths with. "I dunno. Who?"

"Sasha."

Eren's eyes popped wide. "Sasha, really? Where is she? What's she been doing? Did you get to talk to her? Is she doing okay?"

"She's working in a diner as a waitress," explained Armin when the flood of questions died down. "We spoke to her briefly and ordered food. She seems to be doing okay and I think she might have recognized us on some level. Connie got so excited that he ordered double potatoes for his dinner."

Eren chuckled. "Sounds like something he'd do. So he's still got a thing for her, right?"

"Seems that way," sighed Armin, "but none of us want to get her dragged into this, so he's going to try to keep his distance, at least until this is all over with."

"Makes sense." Eren looked toward the hallway leading to the bathroom and bedroom. "Maybe we could arrange for someone to keep an eye out for her. Nothing big, just have someone check in on her a few times a week to make sure she's all right."

"Actually, I was planning to look into hiring someone from the agency I was originally going to go to for additional security," explained Armin. "They aren't as good as UFI agents naturally, but since Sasha isn't involved in any of this, it should do to simply have someone check on her every now and then, as you suggested. Otherwise Connie is going to end up trying to guard her himself and put himself in un-necessary danger."

"Good call. All of you just be careful, okay?"

"We will, Eren. We'll keep in touch. I'd better let you go so I can finish my laundry and get to bed."

Eren nodded. "We'll keep in touch. I'll let you know if I hear any new developments. Goodnight, Armin."

"Goodnight, Eren."

* * *

The call ended, and Eren heard the bathwater stop running. There was a low hum, followed by a bubbling sound. He put his phone down on the coffee table in front of the modular couch, and he started down the hallway. Levi poked his head out of the bathroom, his dark hair highlighted by the globe lights lining the bathroom ceiling.

"You finished with your call?"

Eren nodded, noticing that the captain's shoulders were bare. When he reached the threshold of the bathroom, he saw that Levi was completely nude, and he halted in his tracks to stare at him.

"Wow." Levi's skin was so fair and smooth, and his narrow, small build rippled with muscles. Eren's gaze traveled down beneath the other man's navel, drinking in the sight of the V of his pelvis and the black, crisp hair beginning sparsely under the belly button, widening gradually as it trailed down to frame Levi's groin. He was soft at the moment, but as Eren blatantly gawked at him, the agent's cock began to swell, lift and flush with arousal.

Levi paused in the process of adding a little scented body wash to the bubbling jacuzzi, and he looked up at the taller man with a lazy, _come hither_ expression on his elegantly handsome features. He smirked at the way Eren's gem-bright eyes caressed him from head to toe.

"You look like you want to eat me alive, Jaeger."

Eren forgot that he'd meant to tell Levi that his friends ran into Sasha Blouse. He started to salivate and he had to force his response out, hoping he wasn't drooling and could even be understood. "I _do_ want to eat you alive," he husked. "Not like a titan, but I want to lick every part of you."

Levi stepped gracefully into the jacuzzi, eyes locked with the singer's. "Then get in here with me."

Eren was practically shaking with lust, and he impulsively started to obey without a thought for his own state of dress.

"Take your fucking clothes off first," Levi directed hastily. "Damn, Eren. Heh…"

Eren paused with his boot hovering over the water, and he blushed brightly. "You're just that sexy," he excused, and he eagerly began to strip.

Levi heaved an exaggerated sigh and shook his head, but there was a smirk on his lips. He leaned forward and he crossed his forearms on the edge of the tub, resting his chin on them as he watched Eren struggle out of his clothing. "Oi, slow down."

Eren hesitated after yanking his socks off. "But you said to get in there with you," he practically whined.

"True, but you could at least give me a bit of a show, first. You'd make a suck-ass stripper, doing it that way."

Eren felt the blood rush to his face again. "Oh. Uh, okay." He straightened up and started unbuttoning his shirt. His hands were shaking with his eagerness.

"Slower," instructed Levi, his voice a low, erotic purr. "You're good at making your audience enraptured by your movements, Eren. Use that sex appeal with me now. Tease me a little."

Feeling glaringly self-conscious, Eren tried to pretend he was on the stage, and he started to shift his hips, rocking them a little clumsily at first, then gradually falling into it when Levi murmured his approval.

"Nice. Just like that."

"I feel ridiculous," muttered the singer as he flicked open one button at a time, gyrating his hips in a slow, sensual pattern.

Levi watched him intently, only taking his eyes off Eren's briefly to run their hot gaze over his body as more of the younger man's chest came into view. He smirked. "You look fine to me. Keep going."

Eren suspected this was Levi's way of paying him back for putting him in a situation in which he had to perform his ODM moves for their neighbors a few days back. He didn't mind giving his lover a show, but he'd never done this before. Being used to performing on stage and "making love" to his audience with his voice and body language, he moved with a natural grace despite his embarrassment. Levi certainly seemed to be enjoying it, so Eren pushed aside his shyness and he grew bolder, performing just for the man he was in love with.

* * *

 _~I want to fuck him.~_

The unbidden thought came as a faint surprise to Levi as he watched Eren's display grow more sensual by the moment. By "fuck", he meant he wanted to bury himself inside of that supple, toned ass and have his way with him. Levi was no stranger to doing it that way, but he generally preferred to be the recipient. The direction his thoughts were heading was just further proof of how much this brat turned him on.

He'd been wrong about what he'd said earlier; Jaeger could make a good male stripper and he'd probably end each show with hundreds of dollars stuffed into his thong. In fact as Eren finally shed his shirt, undid his pants and turned around, tugging them down just enough to show a hint of his ass, Levi started to wish he had some bills to shove down his pants. All those tanned ridges, angles and curves on Jaeger's body were a delight to the senses.

Eren looked over his shoulder, the green of his eyes showing a hint of gold as Levi's stare bolstered his own arousal, he smiled crookedly at him. "How's this?" He swayed his hips enticingly, teasing Levi with the sight of the smooth muscles of his back under tanned skin and the glimpse of his ass cheeks.

 _~I am going to have you the minute we get out of this tub, Eren.~_

Eren's expressive eyes widened, and the flush crept back into his cheeks. It was then Levi realized he'd just spoken aloud without realizing it. The agent gave a commanding nod, blushing a little himself. "Keep going, you shitty brat. You aren't finished entertaining me."

* * *

Eren got a little flustered. Levi's eyes were gleaming with predatory lust. Eren caught himself and he kept going, turning around to face the lazy-eyed hottie that was watching him so intently. He dragged his zipper down completely and he pushed his jeans further down over his hips, slowly shimmying out of them. His face was burning hot, but he held his lover's eyes determinedly as he pushed his pants all the way down and then kicked them aside. He'd already been barefoot, so at least he didn't have to worry about the awkward task of removing his shoes and socks.

Levi raised his chin off his folded arms and he sat up straight, turned sideways with his legs stretched out over the bottom of the Jacuzzi. He crooked a finger, silently and demandingly. Eren stepped closer and he gasped when the other man reached up to feel the shape of his swollen length through his briefs. Levi looked up at him, hooked his fingers into the elastic of the underwear and gave them a swift tug to yank them down over his hips. Eren sprang free of the confinement and Levi smirked, his eyes dropping to the prominent evidence of the singer's arousal.

"Just look at you," murmured Levi. He boldly gave the heated, throbbing flesh a stroke, his fist moving up and down it briefly before he slapped both hands over Eren's ass cheeks and squeezed them. "Kick those off and get in here. Now."

"Y-yes sir," gasped Eren, hastily kicking the briefs out of the way. He wobbled when Levi grabbed his arm and started pulling, and he came close to stumbling into the bath on top of him. As it was, the moment he sank down into the water, he was pulled on top of his lover. Levi's mouth crushed against his and Eren had to move his right leg or risk accidentally kneeing the agent in the balls. Water sloshed over the side of the bubbling Jacuzzi as the two men adjusted their positions.

"Mm," hummed Levi into his mouth, tongue darting in to tease and caress Eren's. Levi nibbled the singer's lower lip before pulling back, resting the back of his head on the indention on the lip of the Jacuzzi designed for just such a purpose. He combed his fingers through Eren's hair, and then he gripped it lightly, authoritatively.

"So Eren, have you ever taken it up the ass?"

"I…well…" Eren flushed again. Obviously he'd never done it that way with Levi. Every encounter they'd had together from this life to the last revolved around the captain being the receiver. He honestly hadn't expected the question to come up, because Levi seemed to love being penetrated so much.

"It's okay," encouraged Levi. He brushed a thumb over one of Eren's ears. "I don't need names or details. Just tell me."

"Yes," answered Eren. "A couple of times."

"Hmm, and what did you think of it?"

Eren lowered his bright gaze, his eyes fixating on the silver chain with the Wings of Freedom pendant on it hanging around Levi's neck. He'd noticed the piece of jewelry a couple of times, but right now he couldn't take his eyes off of it. Resting there against Levi's clavicle, silver, white and black against the delicate ivory skin, it seemed to stand out. Eren traced the emblem with damp fingertips, and then he met Levi's quietly inquisitive gaze.

"It didn't really last long enough for me to form much of an opinion."

Levi's brows furrowed briefly in a subtle expression of disquiet. "They didn't take time to get you off?"

Eren shook his head, lowering his gaze again with a chuckle. "Not while we were doing it, no. They had to finish me with their hand or mouth. At least I can say I was willing to try it."

"Hmph, too bad you got shitty experiences out of it." Levi's hold on Eren's hair gentled, and he combed his fingers through it and regarded him thoughtfully.

"What about you, sir?" whispered Eren, eyes drifting shut with pleasure at the gentle petting. "I know you and I have always done it with me on top and I was your first in this life, but did you ever switch in the past one? Maybe with Erwin?"

"Tch, like that titanic control freak would let anyone put it to him like that. He's got to be dominant at all times. That's just how Erwin is."

"Even with you?" pressed Eren shyly. "I would have thought he'd make an exception."

Levi shrugged. "Truth is, I was the only man he'd ever been with. It didn't really matter to me. As you know, I like a big cock inside me. Don't mistake me though, there were others before Erwin and you. I didn't always bottom." The captain paused, running one hand sensually down Eren's back. "Look at me."

Eren obeyed, lips parting as he tried to read his companion's eyes. "What is it, Levi?"

Levi seemed oddly hesitant, and when he responded, he did so carefully as if concerned that he might spook Eren. "I'd like to give you a better experience; if not tonight, then soon. How would you feel about me being inside you, Eren?"

Eren's heart stuttered in his chest, and then it slammed against his sternum fiercely as he swallowed. _~If there were one man in the world I'd be with like that again, it would be Levi.~_

Instead of saying it out loud, he just stared at his lover, unable to find his voice.

"Hey, I'm not pressuring you," assured Levi, mistaking Eren's silence, "if it's not something you'd want to do—"

"I do," interrupted the brunet huskily. He closed in for a kiss, and he pulled back again just far enough to speak against the soft, pouty lips. "I'll do that with you, Levi. I'm willing to try just about anything you want."

"Yeah?" Levi exhaled. "You scared me, asshole. I thought I'd crossed a line."

Eren shook his head and he tried to straddle the smaller man, but his knee slipped and he ended up face-planting into Levi's chest and swallowing bathwater in the process, instead. Levi quickly helped him sit up, and he clicked his tongue in exasperation as Eren coughed.

"How the hell can you dance so sexy and graceful one minute, then turn into such a fucking klutz the next?" Levi patted Eren's back until he recovered, smirking up at him.

"Dunno," rasped Eren. He peeked at Levi from beneath his dampened bangs, sheepishly. "I didn't ruin the mood, did I?"

Levi shook his head. "No. You just reminded me of why I could never turn you down, shitty brat." He smiled then—a subtle, quiet little smile that most would barely recognize as such. He reached for the soap and the loofah, and he lathered it up before he started to bathe Eren's chest and shoulders in attentive, circular motions.

"Tonight, then," husked Levi. He met those devoted, expressive green eyes, seeing a band of gold manifesting around the pupils as it usually did whenever Eren got excited or emotional. "Look at those eyes. I don't think I've ever told you how fucking beautiful they are, have I?"

Eren smiled modestly and shook his head. "They're just green, Captain."

"No, they're green-hazel," corrected Levi. "Most of the time they're that head-turning emerald color, but sometimes a hint of gold sneaks in. It's fascinating."

"You…never said anything before."

"Because I'm a sucky poet and I couldn't find words to describe it." Levi stroked his thumbs over Eren's soap-slick nipples, watching him as the singer's eyelids drooped and he made a low sound of pleasure. "I wonder what sort of color shifting I can expect to see when I'm deep inside of you, filling you up."

Eren's eyes fluttered shut completely, his body shot through with lust at the captain's low, sensual words. The more Levi spoke of it, the greater Eren's excitement grew. Yes, he wanted to experience what it would be like to feel Levi inside of him, even if it only happened once. Eren reached down into the water, lifting up a little in his straddling position to fist the captain's erection. He was big for his small physique. Bigger than average, even. Eren smirked, wondering how many looks of shock he might have gotten in men's locker rooms.

"What are you smirking about?" demanded Levi a little breathlessly, rocking upwards into the other man's grip.

"Just thinking of the look on other guys' faces when they see the size of this thing," admitted the singer, opening his eyes to gaze at Levi. "I remember the first time I saw it. I was so surprised I just had to stare at it for a minute."

"Tch. I guess you expected it to be small like me, right?"

Eren shrugged. "I wasn't sure what to expect." He stroked Levi slowly and he bent over to kiss his ear. "I've seen really tall guys with surprisingly small dicks, so a guy's junk doesn't always reflect body proportions, you know?"

"You don't say." Levi took Eren's length in hand and he smirked as he reciprocated the fondling. "You're definitely bigger than the average for a man your size, handsome."

Eren drew in a slow, calming breath. "You're getting me pretty worked up here," he warned softly, kissing Levi's jaw. He rolled his hips into the touch, still slowly stroking his lover in return.

"Right." Levi sighed, and he released the hard flesh with a wry little smirk. "We're supposed to be bathing, right? Here, lean forward and put your arms around me, Eren."

* * *

He was sore. Pleasantly sore in all the right places. Eren awoke with a stretch and a stupid grin on his face, mentally picturing the un-guarded look on Levi's face when he came the night before. He'd _thanked_ him for letting him do that. Good god, Eren felt like he should be thanking Levi for that. The man was so attentive and so careful. Eren had never experienced the like before, but he was definitely open for doing it that way again. He rolled onto his side and he smiled at his sleeping lover, reaching out to trace those pouty lips.

 _~So fucking cute.~_

He was totally and completely doomed. He loved this crabby man with all his being. Eren's brow furrowed as he traced Levi's sleeping features, and he wondered how he could have ever existed without him.

"God, I love you," whispered the singer, swallowing his emotions. "I love you so much."

Levi stirred, and he cuddled closer to Eren's warmth. "Shut up."

Eren just laughed, amused as always by the other man's gruff responses. He stroked Levi's muscular shoulder and he kissed his hair. "No."

"Shitty brat," mumbled the captain into Eren's armpit.

Eren hugged him tightly. "I love you, and I'll love you until the day I die. Bitch about it all you want."

"Okay," murmured Levi, still obviously more than half-asleep. "Whatever."

Eren snickered softly. "Damn, you're even grouchy when you're asleep. It's okay, though."

* * *

"Shit." Hange stared at the screen, and she shook her head. "Shit, shit, shit!"

"Ma'am?"

The thoroughly annoyed scientist turned her head to regard the woman whom she'd thought was such a threat. "What is it, dear?"

Annie grimaced, and she held out a stack of files for Hange. "I'm sorry doctor, but it seems we've been…um…complicated."

Hange took the files with a frown burrowing between her brows. "What the hell does _that_ mean? Oh….oh, I see."

"Someone's been watching us," clarified Annie with a deep breath. "I thought you should know."

Hange grimaced as she looked through the files. Of _course_ they would be watching her. They were after Eren, after all. She was fed up, though.

"Oh, fuck this," groused Hange, tossing the evidence all over the floor. She looked up at Annie's bewildered face, and she smiled in a chilling way. "Darling, I need you to do something for me."

* * *

-To be continued


	14. Chapter 14

The next day, Petra and Eld reported straight to Erwin as soon as they arrived at headquarters. Petra had wanted to contact the director right away to tell him of the encounter at the carnival, but Eld convinced her not to. Erwin was a busy man and they really had nothing substantial to report, unfortunately.

"Let me understand this," Erwin said to the two of them after they explained what had happened the night before. "A mysterious, cloaked figure was following the two of you around. You rode the Ferris Wheel in the hopes of getting a better vantage point, and then this mystery person just…vanished?"

Petra's face blushed pink. "Yes sir. He or she must have blended in with the crowd while we were on the ride."

Actually, it probably happened when Eld decided to lay a wet one on her. Both of them were so distracted by the kiss that neither of them could say exactly when their mystery stalker disappeared.

"I'm having difficulty comprehending why you're even reporting this to me," said Erwin flatly. "If the alleged culprit simply vanished, then it stands to reason that they weren't tailing you at all. It seems to be sheer coincidence, to me."

"That could be true, sir," admitted Petra, "but both of us had the same feeling about this individual."

Eld nodded. "Yeah. He was definitely following us…or she. I didn't get a close enough look to determine a gender."

"And why did you choose to go on a ride, rather than confront this individual?" Erwin lifted a brow at them.

The two agents looked at one another, and Eld scratched the back of his head self-consciously, flipping his blond ponytail in the process. "We just thought there might be more of them, Director. Figured we'd get a better lay of the land before making any moves."

"I see." Erwin tapped his fingertips against the surface of his desk in thought. "Well, there's no help for it, is there? The suspect slipped through your fingers and you have nothing save conjecture to go on. Perhaps your instincts were correct and they were aligned with the BRS. Perhaps not. You've no solid proof of either."

Petra heaved a sigh. "Yes sir. I'm sorry to waste your time."

Erwin shook his head. "If you have reason to believe someone has followed you, it bears reporting. I simply can't do anything about it based on what you've given me. I imagine my precautionary advisement that you both be more aware of your surroundings from now on doesn't even bare stating."

"No sir," they said in unison. Eld stood up, and he gave Erwin a nod. "I'm just going by what Agent Ackerman is always telling me: 'If it looks and smells fishy, it probably is and it should go down on record'. Sorry we didn't gather enough intel about it, sir."

"That's fine." Erwin smirked a little, easily imagining Levi saying those quoted words. He wished he had a dozen more like him, pain in his ass though Ackerman could be. "If there's nothing else, you're both dismissed."

"Sir." Petra suddenly gave Erwin an odd salute that was hauntingly familiar to him, and Eld stared at her openly. One fist facing up over her chest, and the other planted on her lower back, the young woman gave Erwin the impression of a soldier of war. She flushed, looking quite confused. "I…I'm sorry. I don't even know where that came from."

"It's…quite all right," assured Erwin, not knowing how else to respond. He felt like he'd done this before, but when? Why did that strange salute make his adrenaline spike as if he were about to embark on some wild adventure? "Have a pleasant day, both of you."

As Petra and Eld left his office, Erwin heard the blond agent mutter a question to his small companion. "What was _that_ about, Petra?"

"I have no idea," she whispered back to him.

The door closed behind the pair, and Erwin pinched the bridge of his nose between a thumb and forefinger, massaging the ache he felt there. He opened his drawer and he withdrew a bottle of generic aspirin, popping it open and shaking a couple of the pills out. He dry-swallowed them before replacing the bottle and closing the drawer.

Levi. He suddenly had an overpowering urge to speak with the grumpy little shit. Erwin thought of his own words to his agent the last time he'd spoken to him in person, just before Levi set out with their client in the RV that Erwin had splurged on. He'd meant every bit of it. He loved the man…more than could be considered rational. He knew him from another time. He wasn't a spiritual person, but Erwin could not ignore the feeling of familiarity, nor could he turn aside this nearly obsessive attraction he felt for Levi. He was not an irrational man. He didn't believe in fairy tales, and yet he couldn't deny that somehow, some way, he had known Levi for more than one lifetime.

"I'm a fool," he muttered to himself, even as he pulled out his cellphone and looked up the agent's contact data. He called him against his better judgment, for no other reason than to hear his low, sensual voice. He thought he might end up getting his voicemail when the phone rang several times, but then Levi picked up and Erwin's heart slammed like a wrecking ball against his sternum.

"Hey, boss. I almost didn't catch it in time. I was making breakfast."

Erwin swallowed, his eyes drifting shut.

"Smith? You there, or was this a butt-dial?"

Christ, he didn't even know what to say. "I'm here," Erwin said mechanically.

"So what's up?" Levi questioned. He murmured something to another party—most likely Eren—and Erwin suffered a moment of sickening jealousy when he heard the sound of lips smacking briefly in a kiss.

"I merely wanted to check on your progress," stated Erwin, feeling like he might throw up.

"Because I haven't reported for a couple of days?" guessed Levi. "Sorry about that. I'm a little gunshy about using our hotspot since I found out someone tapped into our GPS. I was planning to call you later today, in fact."

"That's fine," Erwin heard himself say. He could picture Levi in a robe as he heard something sizzling in the background. He was probably making an omelet or cooking bacon. Why did the mental image of him doing something so domestic tug at Erwin's heartstrings so hard? "What are you having for breakfast?"

There was a shrug in Levi's voice as he responded. "Nothing fancy. Just some fried eggs and toast. So I guess you want a report, right?"

"Yes," answered Erwin. "How are things going on your end?"

"Not bad. Eren, no…don't do that. I've got this, okay? We don't need you burning down the cabin."

Erwin couldn't resist a chuckle. Somehow he could picture the singer trying to help out and causing a disaster in the process. "So I take it that Mr. Jaeger isn't the world's best in the kitchen."

"Tch…understatement of the year," muttered Levi. He suddenly gave an amused huff. "Yeah, you can pour the orange juice, brat. That'll be fine."

As much as he envied Eren Jaeger for his apparent relationship with Levi, Erwin couldn't find it in his heart to resent him. The kid was endearing, and he obviously treated Levi well. "Mike tells me the two of you ran into a bit of road trouble a few days ago."

"Yeah, we got a flat tire," confirmed Levi. "Neither of us knew what the fuck we were doing, but Hange walked Eren through it. At least _one_ of us was able to work it out. We're fine now, though. We're at a cabin—"

"Don't tell me," warned Erwin seriously, even as he wondered why in the hell Levi sought help from that strange doctor that was aiding them. "Keep the location to yourself, Ackerman."

"Right," agreed Levi. "I wasn't going to tell you where anyhow. So we're going to stay here for another day or so, and then we'll be back on the road. Gotta keep moving. There's really not much else to report to you, sir. How are things going with the mole situation? Obviously we've still got a pest problem, for you to be so cautious."

Erwin nodded. "We do indeed still have a 'pest problem', I'm sad to say. We are investigating, but I'm afraid I cannot give you a timeframe as to when the issue will be dealt with. I should also inform you that your second-in-command and Agent Ral had a suspicious event last evening, when they went to the local carnival. They seem to believe someone was tailing them."

"Oh yeah?" Levi paused to do something, and he called to his companion. "Eren, it's ready. Come get yours." He returned his attention to Erwin. "So did Eld kick their ass or what? You have a suspect in custody?"

"Unfortunately, no." Erwin grimaced as he heard the smack of another kiss. Damn it, he'd been the one to encourage Levi to go for it with Jaeger in the first place. He had no fucking right to be jealous. "The suspicious party got away before either of them could confront them. Keep in mind that they have no proof that this person was actually spying on them, but we can't wipe it off the record based on assumption. This organization has been compromised now, and we must document every potential threat."

"Got it," agreed Levi. "So we'll go with the premise that this person is an enemy. I'm sure Eld knows to keep a tighter watch on his ass from now on, chief."

"I believe he does," assured Erwin. He smirked. "He even quoted you earlier when he and Miss Ral reported the incident to me. You've trained him well, Levi."

"Heh. He hardly needed any training. You know the type I look for, Erwin. Suspicious as hell and quick on their feet. How's Petra working out there, by the way?"

"She's fitting in just fine." Erwin chuckled a bit as he thought of the young woman's actions. "She's demonstrated some odd habits, though. Very likeable girl, all the same, and she's quite professional."

"What kind of odd habits?"

Erwin considered Petra's impulsive salute from earlier. "Well, she saluted me when I dismissed her and Jinn from my office, earlier. It was a strange salute, with one fist over her heart and the other planted against the small of her back. I keep thinking that I've seen it somewhere before, but I know military salutes and I honestly have never seen one like that in our armed forces."

There was a heavy silence on the other end of the line before Levi answered. "Hmph. You don't say. So what's going on with Hange? Has she dug up anything useful yet?"

"Dr. Hange," sighed Erwin. "Honestly, every time I speak with that woman I feel like I've stumbled into some other dimension. She's a very odd bird."

Levi huffed again in his way of showing amusement. "That's not an answer, sir."

"I suppose not," conceded Erwin. "To answer your question: no, she hasn't turned up anything yet. I don't expect her to bring back anything solid for a while, in fact. She has to work her way further into their organization before she'd privy to any secrets that might help us out."

"Figured as much," sighed Levi. "She's a fast worker, though. I don't think it's going to take as long as you're anticipating."

Erwin frowned. "How long have you known this woman, Levi?"

"Erm…not very long," said the agent evasively. "Eren here's known her for years though, and I trust his judgment."

"I…see." Erwin was still doubtful, mainly because Hange seemed to him like such a loose cannon. Still, there was something about her that allowed him to put his trust in her as well. He got that same sense of familiarity from her that he got from Mike, Levi, Eld and Petra...as well as Eren. Was it possible that they'd _all_ known one another in some previous life?

"Levi, I need to ask you something that's going to sound a bit absurd."

"Lots of things coming from you sound absurd," countered Levi with a snort. "What is it, Erwin?"

The director took a deep breath before answering. "We had a rather strange discussion before you left this city with our client. I've been thinking on it a lot. You seem to have knowledge of something that I can't recall. Am I going mad, or did we all know one another in some previous life? I can't deny my…affiliation with you, but…" He trailed off uncertainly.

For a few heartbeats, there was no answer. Finally, just when Erwin was about to call his name, Levi responded. "Yes. Everyone you're getting that 'vibe' from was someone you knew in our previous life, Erwin."

" _Everyone_?" repeated the blond with a bewildered frown, eyes widening. "How on earth…how is that _possible_? How in the hell are we all coming together again, and how long has it been since this previous life?"

"Couple centuries, give or take," replied Levi. "I don't know how we're all migrating towards each other again. I'm not a fucking soothsayer, boss. All I know is that we used to be in the same military regiment under _your_ command, and…you and I…we were lovers. You hit the nail on the head with that."

Erwin swallowed. "Lovers?" That made complete sense to him, but the question now looming in his mind was what Eren had been to Levi, and what had happened between the three of them. "And Jaeger?"

He heard the sound of a glass door sliding, and he presumed Levi had stepped outside. "Also lovers," answered the raven-haired man. "You and I had kind of an arrangement. We didn't keep just to each other…or at least _you_ didn't until Eren entered the picture."

Erwin closed his eyes. "Meaning you were faithful only to me before Jaeger came into our lives, I take it."

A pause, and then there was a soft answer. "Yeah."

Erwin opened his eyes again, and he got out of his chair to begin pacing the room. "Tell me what I did to you, Levi."

"No. You don't need to know that."

"Yes, I do," insisted the blond. He went to the window and he stared blankly out at the skyline. "I need to know what I did. I know that I hurt you somehow, but—"

"It doesn't fucking matter now," snapped Levi. "Just let it go, Erwin. Stop punishing yourself. I've given you a hard enough time as it is."

"Yes, you've given me a hard time," growled Erwin, "and I would really like to know exactly why. What provoked this from you? What did I do to you?"

He heard Levi swallow. "You hurt me, okay? That's all you need to know. The details aren't important and I'm sick of dwelling on the past. What you did then isn't the fault of your present self, you stupid titanic blond."

Erwin felt lost. "But…I feel…God, Levi, I think I really am going insane. I just need to make it up to you, but I don't even know what I'm trying to make up for!"

Levi sighed, and his voice became uncommonly gentle. "Erwin, you've already made up for it. You gave me the green light to be with Eren again, and I probably wouldn't have gone for it if you hadn't. You delved into the budget to get us this RV and you've been working your ass off on this case. What happened in the past doesn't matter anymore, okay? I…I'm sorry I've been such a shit to you."

"You aren't the one owing apologies," countered Erwin. His chest felt tight, and his vision started to blur. "But if Eren Jaeger is making you happy, then I suppose I've done some small good. It truly matters to me, Levi, even if you won't share with me what I did to feel this pressing guilt. I understand that you are trying in your own way to protect me, and I thank you for that, even if I don't deserve it."

"Erwin…" Levi's voice was hesitant. "Look, you're a better man than you give yourself credit for. In the end, you…you were there for me. That's all that matters. I'm always going to be loyal to you, even if we aren't fucking anymore. Do you believe that?"

"Yes," stated Erwin without hesitation. "I really do believe that, and I thank you. I have more trust in you than any of my soldiers."

At once, Erwin frowned with the realization that he'd used the word "soldiers" rather than "agents". He'd also omitted Mike from that equation, which had him rather shocked. It was true, though. Even when Ackerman was causing trouble, there was nobody else Erwin trusted so implicitly to get the job done.

"So," Erwin said hastily, trying to reconcile what felt like a sort of betrayal against his oldest friend, "Mike and I knew one another as well, I take it?"

"Yeah, he was your second-in-command back then, too." Levi's tone was dry. "You were both a pair of assholes in those days as well."

Erwin chuckled, though his throat still felt tight. "Thank you very much. I'm sure we were. Well, at least you've made me feel less like I'm going out of my mind."

"Heh. You knew Hange too," Levi pointed out. "She probably made you feel as blitzed back then as she does now, but you named her as your third choice to take over command of the Scouts if anything happened to you or Mike. Just letting you know. She's a freak, but she'll get the job she volunteered for done, boss."

"Hmph, well that's…er…comforting…I suppose." Erwin smiled a bit painfully. "If you trust her, than so do I. I'm sure that your breakfast is going cold, so I'll let you go so that you can eat. Take care of yourself, Levi…and take care of our client."

"You know it," responded Levi. He hesitated for a moment, and then he spoke in a softer tone. "And Erwin, stop beating yourself up. I mean it."

The director closed his eyes again, and he imagined himself reaching out to caress Levi's fine-boned, attractive face. "I'll try. Goodbye, Agent Ackerman."

* * *

Eren came out on the deck just as Levi hung up with Erwin with a sigh. The agent was so distracted by nostalgic feelings that he didn't notice he had company, until Eren embraced him from behind. Levi gave a little start, lifting his head from its bowed position and turning it to stare into concerned green eyes.

"Hey, brat," he murmured.

Eren kissed him softly on the lips, and then he rested his chin on Levi's shoulder. "That was Erwin you were talking to, right?"

Levi nodded and gave a grunt, resting his hands over the ones linked together over his stomach. "Yeah."

Eren seemed to turn this information over in his head before speaking again. "How is he?"

"Confused as fuck," sighed Levi. There was no point in garnishing the truth. Levi was, if not socially graceful, an honest bastard. "He wanted to know what he did to me in the past. Poor fucker's suffering guilt pangs over something he doesn't even remember. It's like I told you before; you can't punish a dog for shitting on the carpet if you don't let it know what it's done wrong."

"Oh." Eren bit his lip, and then he nuzzled Levi's neck gently. "Maybe I'm out of my mind, but I kind of feel sorry for the guy."

Levi heaved another sigh. "Yeah, me too." He turned around in the singer's arms to look up at him thoughtfully, and he smirked.

"What?" queried Eren suspiciously.

"You," answered Levi. He chucked the taller man gently on the chin. "You're so fucking charitable, Jaeger."

Eren chuckled softly, a blush rising in his cheeks. "Yeah, well it's easy to be charitable when I've got you and he doesn't. That's kind of asshole-ish of me to say, though."

"Not so asshole-ish," argued Levi. He slipped his hands into the slightly parted material of Eren's robe, running them over his back to feel the smooth ripple of muscles. "You're allowed to be a little selfish now and then, shitty brat."

Eren shrugged, and he cupped Levi's bottom to pull him tighter up against him. "Maybe. He had his chance and he blew it with you, but now that I've got my memories back and I know how much he's done for us, I just can't hold a grudge anymore. When…when you passed away, Erwin was kind of my rock. He wouldn't let me give into despair even though he was feeling it just as keenly as I was. We sort of bonded, and it doesn't really sit right with me to be so smug. Does that make sense?"

"Makes sense," agreed Levi. He kissed Eren's Adam's apple. "You could use a shave, kid."

"After breakfast," promised Eren. He smiled at him. "Maybe you could shave me again, like you did the other day. I always manage to cut myself."

"That's because you're a clumsy shit," muttered Levi. "I'll be happy to do it after we eat."

"Good. Your food is getting cold." Eren gave Levi's rump a little squeeze. "I can't have my protector neglecting himself, right?"

"I suppose not." Levi followed him back into the cabin, and he sat down at the table to dig into his nearly forgotten meal.

* * *

"I can't _believe_ I'm doing this," grumbled Annie Leonhart as she shifted her car into Drive and began to follow the man that her boss had directed her to spy on. Hange frankly scared her, though. She wasn't about to turn down her not-quite-request and risk her anger. Professor Henderson was apparently involved with the parties responsible for hacking into their database to pull files on patients, and Hange reasoned that what was good for the goose was also good for the gander.

Unfortunately, Annie was no computer hacker. If she were, she wouldn't have had to go through the government to change her fucking identity to begin with. Hange had "reasoned" with her though, promising her a pay raise and a bonus if she'd agree to follow this guy around and report his activities back to her. Seeing as she had rent to pay and no partner or roommate to fall back on, Annie agreed to the crazy plan.

"Where are you going now, you fat bastard?"

She turned down the street he'd taken, keeping a distance of three cars between them. So far, the man's actions were frankly boring. He'd gone straight to the grocery store from his house, picked up a shit-ton of produce including junk food that had Annie cringing inwardly, returned home to put it away and then took off again. He'd stopped at a hotdog stand before it was even noon, and Annie had shaken her head with disgust at the sight of him sloppily chowing down on a chilli dog. What a slovenly pig. She had her doubts that this person was any real threat to her boss or their business, but she supposed there were worst ways to earn a raise.

Professor Henderson stopped his luxury sedan at the curb outside a duplex apartment, and Annie pulled to a stop half a block away. As she watched, the man got out of his car, looked around and went up the steps to knock on the right door. A woman answered a short while later and they greeted each other before he went in. Annie kept her eyes on the building as she pulled out her cellphone to contact her boss.

"Doctor Zoë, I'm at 634 Peony Avenue. The professor just went inside one of the apartments with a woman."

"What does she look like?" Hange asked.

"Fat and old," supplied Annie.

Hange clicked her tongue. "You need to do better than that, dear. Height? Hair color?"

"I suppose she's roughly around your height, and her hair looked dark blonde to me," answered the young woman.

"Hmm, I see." There was the sound of a scratching pen as Hange took down the information. "I don't suppose you could sneak up and have a listen, could you?"

"Not without people noticing." Annie grimaced, picturing herself pressing her ear against the door in broad daylight. "Ma'am, I really don't want to get arrested."

"Oh, I don't want you to get arrested either!" assured Hange. "Then where would we be? All right my dear, just keep following him, then. If he starts heading out of town to a big complex, you turn around and go the other way, all right?"

Annie frowned, confused. "Yes ma'am. I'll…keep that in mind. Oh, he's coming out again. I'd better let you go now."

"Okay, take care, Annie."

Annie froze, and she stared at the phone with wide eyes before responding. She'd never told Hange her true name. "P-pardon, Dr. Zoë?"

"You heard me, pipsqueak. Be careful. You're a good worker even if you're shady as hell. Not that I _can't_ replace you if I must, but I'd rather not have the hassle."

"But my name is—"

Hange hung up on her before Annie could even finish the sentence.

* * *

Later that evening after closing the clinic for the day, Hange sat down with her little spy. She smiled engagingly at Annie as the girl reported what sounded like an incredibly boring day of events to her. "He went to the movies," finished Annie with a sigh, "and he has terrible taste in films. That's it. There's nothing else."

"Hmm, interesting." Hange kept smiling at her. "And there's nothing you want to ask me, darling?"

Annie blinked at her. "Not…really."

Hange started to chuckle. "Cool as a cucumber as always, aren't you? You aren't even a bit curious as to why I didn't address you as 'Kendra' over the phone earlier?"

Annie tensed slightly, but her expression remained admirably calm. "I assumed you got my name mixed up with someone else's, ma'am."

"Is that so?" Hange scooted her chair back, and she stood up. She placed her palms down flat on her desk, and she leaned forward, affixing the younger woman with a wide-eyed stare. "I know who you really are, my dear. We can do away with the act."

Annie visibly paled, her light blue eyes dilating with panic despite her obvious efforts to remain calm. "What are you talking about, Doctor?"

Hange sighed, and she clasped her hands behind her back as she paced around the desk, Annie winced slightly as the older woman came near, and Hange almost felt sorry for her. "I must admit, I had my doubts. I've got _two_ employees using an alias, you know. You and Jason. I don't mind telling you that you were at the top of my list of suspicious people, but as it turns out, you seem to be in the clear."

Hange speared Annie with her sharp, wine-colored gaze as she circled back around the desk and slammed her palms down on it. "I had to know for certain. You don't have a very good track record in your past, so I took it upon myself to do a bit of digging. You were born Annie Leonhart, and you left home at the tender age of sixteen and got emancipated. Your father was abusing you, wasn't he?"

Annie started to shake. "How did you…?"

"Everything one needs to know is available, if they know just where to look," explained Hange. Her expression softened slightly. "I feel pity for you, girl. I truly do. Now that I know why you've changed your name, I almost feel bad for digging this information up."

Annie began to breathe more heavily. "Why would you do this? What was the point of me following that man around town all day? I have the feeling you knew it would be useless!"

Hange smirked, and she bowed her head. "Call it a final exam. I had confirmation that you aren't sleeping with the enemy, but I needed to know that I had your loyalty. That boring pinchfuck you were tailing is having an affair on his wife. That was who you saw him visit today; his mistress. Now that I know you're loyal to me, we can skip any further bullshit and I can trust you to keep an eye on things."

The younger woman was still quite obviously shaken. "You knew about my past, but you still sent me on this little…mission…just to test me?"

"Well, there's that and you still get your raise." Hange spread her hands, relaxing. "Pretty sweet deal for such a simple assignment, don't you think?"

Annie stood up, her eyes wide and staring. "You are out of your mind."

"So I've been told on more than one occasion," mused Hange. "Yet, here you are. You can walk out that door anytime you choose, but I doubt you'll find another employer willing to pay the wages I do. We'll keep your past our little secret, Annie, but I need someone reliable on my team…and maybe I really _am_ batshit crazy for trusting you for that job, but I think everyone deserves another chance."

 _~Hell, if Erwin can turn over a new leaf, so can you.~_

"I should walk out right now," huffed Annie, still wide-eyed. "You invaded my privacy."

"You lied on your application," Hange pointed out calmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just how many employers do you think would put up with that shit after finding it out, blondie? Imagine what they might think if they contact me for a reference, should I spill the beans?"

Clearly at a loss, the younger woman opened and closed her mouth. Finally she sighed, and she put her face in her hands. "This is blackmail."

"Yes it is," agreed Hange pleasantly. "But trust me, sweetheart, this particular flavor of karma is very mild compared to what you _could_ be getting from me."

* * *

Oh yes, she was crazy…like a fox. Hange now had Annie precisely where she wanted her, and she chose not to confront Jason Hutch—or rather, Reilly Malcovitch. Instead of revealing to that weasely little bastard that she knew he was a mole, Hange went straight to Professor Henderson that evening after arriving at the BRS compound. She marched right into his office and she tossed the stack of files that Annie had dug up right onto his desk.

"I'm hurt," said Hange conversationally. "You've been having me spied on, you fetid little creep."

~Ooh, that was a good one. I'll bet Levi would appreciate it. Mental note to self: tell Levi you called this man a "fetid little creep" the next time you speak with him.~

Henderson stared up at her like she was an alien that had beamed down from some other planet. "I…beg your pardon, Dr. Zoë?"

She nodded at the files that her employee had printed up. "Don't play dumb with me, or I'll snatch that toupee right off of your head. One of my workers noticed the worm in our database around the same time that I did. These are the printed results of the scans she ran on our systems. Frankly, I can't think of anyone else that would have such a personal interest in my patients' files, so don't bullshit me."

The professor sighed, looking somewhat conflicted. "First of all, you must understand that being relatively new to our organization, of course we would need some insurance."

"You aren't even going to try to deny it? Interesting." Hange scooted one of the visitor chairs up and she plopped down on it. "So why are you going through my patients' records? How does that give you 'insurance' that I'm trustworthy? Help me to understand this."

Henderson compressed his lips briefly. "That isn't the reason for it. Hange, you've been doing some excellent work here, and we truly believe that you will be a great asset to our vision."

"However…" she pressed, raising her brows.

He glanced away and he cleared his throat. "However, I honestly shouldn't say more."

"You'd better," she warned, "and you'd better say it fast, or I am out that door. Oh, by the way…"

Hange reached into her bag and she withdrew her gun. She nearly laughed at the bug-eyed look she got from her associate as she pointed it at him. "I wouldn't think of calling security on me right now, if I were you. Now, let's be honest. You didn't bring me in just for my mind. You want something from me, yes? Something to do with one of my patients."

"Y-yes," answered the man shakenly. "Dr. Zoë, please put that thing away! There's no need to threaten violence!"

"I'm not threatening violence," reasoned Hange casually. "I'm threatening to kill you if you don't explain your actions to me. No violence needed. All it will take is for me to pull this trigger. Effortless, really."

"All right, let's just calm down." He broke into a sweat. "The truth is that we've been researching something ground-breaking, and we believe that one of your patients has extraordinary genetics that will help us reach our goals. I'll let you in on it, Doctor. Please, just put the gun down!"

"I assume you must be talking about Eren Jaeger," she reasoned, tossing another card into play. When the man just stared at her, Hange shrugged. "I've noticed some…interesting things in his blood and urine tests when he's come in for physicals. For one, his mitochondria count is through the roof. For another, he has cells foreign to any other human being on this planet. That's it, correct? He's the one you're interested in."

The professor nodded slowly, eyes still wide. "Nothing much gets past you, does it?"

"Nothing much," she agreed pleasantly, waving the gun around. "Oh, relax. I'm not going to shoot you."

No sooner did Hange say it than the gun went off, shooting a hole in the wall behind the suddenly cowering professor. "Oh, damn! I'm sorry about that. I thought I had the safety on!"

"Please put it away," whimpered Professor Henderson.

"Okay, okay. Calm down." Hange made sure to click the safety on the weapon before replacing it in her purse. She propped her elbows on her companion's desk, threading her fingers together. She rested her chin over her linked hands and she smiled at the professor. "Well, I feel better now. All I really wanted was an explanation. You really should have just asked me before, sir. Let's make a deal, shall we? I want in on whatever project you've got going involving my patient. In return, I think I could lead you directly to him."

Henderson was still clutching his chest, and Hange worried that he might be having a stroke or a heart attack. "Did you understand what I just said? I don't need to get a defibrillator in here, do I?"

"No," wheezed the man. "I understood. Just…give me a moment. Damn, you play hardball."

* * *

Levi nearly groaned when his phone rang and he saw that it was Hange. He shot a regretful look at his lover, who was relaxing out on the deck in the chase lounge, a beer in his hand. Reminding himself that this call could come with important news, Levi put aside his urge to join Eren and he stopped himself from going out there with him.

"Hey, shitty glasses," said the agent after bringing the phone to his ear. "Anything useful to report?"

"Actually, yes!"

Levi went to the fireplace, and he poked at the burning logs in it to stoke the flames. "So get on with it. What's up?"

"You have to take Eren and leave immediately."

Levi frowned, tugging the phone away from his ear briefly. Unaware that he was basically mimicking Erwin's response to Hange's craziness, he put the device back to his ear. "Why?"

"I had to tell them where you were," explained Hange, "so get the fuck out of there, now!"

Levi's eyes went impressively wide. "What the fuck are you _talking_ about? How would you know where we are?"

"I've been tracing you," she admitted.

Levi stared blankly at nothing. "How? I know our GPS was compromised, but—"

"That was me, you little moron."

Levi's dark brows knitted over his eyes. "Oh. How did you…oh, never fucking mind…you're Hange. Why the hell didn't you tell me earlier? I've been thinking it was the goddamned BRS doing it!"

"Well, now it might as well be," she said in a rush. "The dirty mothers hacked into my database, which compromises you and Eren because _I've_ been tracking your cute butts. I'm really sorry, Levi. I'm doing damage control right now. Just as soon as I get home—"

"Wait, wait," he snapped, now glaring at the wall as if it were Hange. "So you're telling me that _you_ were the one hacking our GPS, and now these fuckers have the ability to do so too?"

"Are you even _listening_ to me?" Her voice raised an octave. "Yes, Levi, yes! I screwed up. They don't know that I know they might know how to trace you. At least not yet. I'm in with the program they've been setting up, and yes, they know about Eren's fucking coordinate ability and that's why they're after him. I had to make it look good, understand?"

"No," he shouted into the phone, angered beyond belief, "I _don't_ understand! What in the hell, Hange?"

"I told them where you guys are at," she told him. "I had to play it dumb. They've likely already got the information thanks to their hacking, but I had to convince them that I'm supportive of their plans. I am telling you now to get your ass moving! Get Eren away from there, and as soon as I get the chance I'm going to sabotage the program I'm using to track you, so that they can't use it."

Levi felt a growl rumble in his chest. "You crazy, shit-eating…"

"Are you going to sit there and cuss at me all night, or are you going to get your honey out of harm's way?" demanded Hange.

"Shit. Fuck. Damn." Levi nearly threw his phone. "Hange, if anything happens to him because of your bullshit…"

"Why do you think I called you? Don't threaten, just move your pint-sized ass!"

There was really nothing else he could do but heed her warning. Levi curved violently again before hanging up, and he damned near busted straight through the sliding glass door before remembering to open it first. Eren gave a start as the agent stomped out onto the deck with a decidedly sour look on his face, and the singer sat up in the chase lounge, blinking up at him.

"What's wrong, Captain?"

"We're leaving," Levi said shortly. "Hop to, Jaeger. No time to lose."

Eren jumped up out of his seat so fast that it fell over onto its side, and he spilled his beer in the process. "What's going on, Levi? You're so pale!"

"Hange," muttered the smaller man. "I just got a warning from her, and we need to get moving."

"I…don't understand." Eren followed the raven-haired man into the cabin, stumbling after him in utter confusion as Levi began to grab up their belongings and stuff them into a duffle bag. "What happened? Levi, talk to me!"

Levi looked over his shoulder at Eren, and there was such a white-hot glimmer of emotion in his eyes that Eren stopped in his tracks. "She either did something extremely brilliant, stupid or crazy. I don't know which, yet. All I know is that I've got to get you the fuck away from here."

* * *

-To be continued


	15. Chapter 15

"Levi, there's something I don't understand," said Eren after the couple got back on the road and the other man explained the conversation with Hange to him. "You've had the GPS turned _off_ for all this time, so how in the hell could Hange have used it to track us?"

Levi shook his head. "I've got no idea, but evidently she did. Maybe just powering this thing down isn't enough to stop the signal." Levi glanced accusingly at the dark navigation screen, and he tapped it. "Shit. We can't wait for her to put the axe to whatever she did to trace us. Damned shitty glasses…"

Eren yelped as Levi pulled sharply off at the next exit without warning, and he grabbed the arms of his seat. "Whoa, slow down! We nearly tipped over around that curve!"

"Relax." Levi's lips thinned, and he put on the right blinker as they came up on a gas station. "Get the tool box out from under the passenger seat, Eren. I'm not taking any risks."

"What are you planning to do?" Eren bent over to do as he was told, feeling underneath his seat for the container.

Levi glanced at him grimly.

* * *

A short while later, the gutted GPS was tossed out the window of the RV, landing with a clutter in the parking lot. The vehicle it had come from somehow managed to peel out of the fuel station despite its bulk, and the alarmed shouts of the man riding in the passenger seat followed in its wake.

"Crap! How are you burning rubber?"

"Takes talent," muttered Levi. He smirked sidelong at his companion, amused. "Stop looking like you're going to piss yourself, brat. Even with my foot to the floor of this beast, we're still not moving that fast."

"Yeah, but still…don't you think that was a little extreme?" Eren gulped down a few swallows of his soda, now that their speed had leveled out a bit and the ride was smoother.

Levi shrugged. "Considering that thing had the potential to lead those bastards right to us, no I don't."

"I wasn't talking about the navigator," clarified Eren with a shake of his head. "Nobody's after us right now, Captain. You're driving like a maniac and we aren't even being chased."

"How do you know that?" Levi checked the rearview mirrors as he began to merge with the traffic on the interstate. "Eren, trust me. I've been in this line of work long enough to know that it's not always so obvious when you've got someone tailing you, and I've got a feeling about this. I'm not taking any chances. Hey, that reminds me: Go and put on your ODM harness. We'll switch places when you're finished so I can do the same."

Eren stared at him, and Levi shot him a warning look. "Stop ogling me like I've grown a second head, Jaeger. Go and do as I told you."

"Uh, okay. I think you're being a little paranoid though, sir."

"Better to be paranoid and safe than complacent and abducted or dead," countered Levi. "Which would you prefer?"

Eren grimaced. "I'll take the first option, I guess. Be right back."

As he unbuckled his safety belt and got up to go to the back of the vehicle, Levi smacked him sharply on the ass, making Eren jump and holler in surprise. Levi huffed at him. "I've been wanting to doing that."

Eren rubbed his bottom and he shot Levi an expression that was caught somewhere between a grimace and a smirk. "One day I'm going to get the nerve to pay you back."

"Promises, promises. Get moving, Eren."

* * *

"We seem to have lost the signal, Doctor Zoë."

Hange's brows shot up in response to Robert Tally's announcement. She paused in her work to regard the recruiter. As Levi had assured Erwin; she moved fast. Her gamble had paid off and Professor Henderson made good on his agreement to get her a position in the project involving Eren Jaeger, though it was still low on the rung. She had the bare minimal clearance with it, and she still wasn't party to the more classified information regarding exactly what they planned to do with him…but she had her theories.

~I haven't even had the chance to put the kibosh to that tracer yet. How in the hell could we lose the signal already?~

But she already knew the answer to that. She'd been in such a rush to warn Levi without alerting her "associates" that she hadn't fully explained to the man how the program worked. He was a sharp one, though. He must have figured it out on his own. Good boy.

"Well, that's awfully strange," Hange stated. She removed her glasses and she yanked a tissue from the box on her temporary desk to wipe the lenses off. "I'll look into that. It must be a glitch."

"Let's hope so." Tally sighed, running his fingers through his light brown, collar-length hair. "Honestly, if I'd known you were keeping such a close eye on that young man, I would have pushed for your recruitment a lot sooner. We really need to bring him in as soon as possible, but that man he's apparently traveling with is extremely dangerous."

Hange fought back a smirk. This man had no idea. Even the words "extremely dangerous" seemed like an understatement to her, when it came to Levi. After all, not many men could take down a helicopter with a pair of swords. Hange wished she could have seen that. Eren probably jizzed in his pants watching it.

"I'll check into it," promised Hange. "Did you at least get a solid fix on their last location before it flaked out on you?"

"Yes," answered the man. "The last signal your tracer received came from a lodge retreat up north, just outside of the town of Mackenzie in the Pavis territory. They seemed to be heading in a southeastern direction before the signal died."

"Hmm, so they could be making their way back down. Those boys sure do keep moving, don't they?"

Tally heaved another sigh. "Yes. The agent that's with Mr. Jaeger is a slippery bastard. We haven't even been able to get a lock on any of his information. I know his true name isn't 'Falke Hulcher', but the damned databanks of his agency are so tightly encrypted that we haven't got more to go on than that. Do you know that this son of a bitch took down a _helicopter_?"

Hange chuckled. "So I've heard."

 _~Keep singing, canary.~_

"I take it you've got a plant in the UFI trying to dig up all of this information?"

The man looked faintly wary. "I'm afraid I can't go into further detail on that issue. I've already probably said too much, but you've been such a valuable asset, I felt I should disclose at least some information."

"I understand." Hange set aside some documents, stacking them neatly if only for appearances' sake. She chose to change the subject. "So, about this impending transfer to the Trost facility: I've decided to take you up on the offer. I've really eager to get more involved with this project."

He smiled faintly at her. "Well, hopefully we still _have_ a project to begin work on. That all depends on whether we can wrest the subject away from his bodyguard."

Hange crossed her fingers. "Here's to hoping, then! If you'll excuse me, I'll get started on finding out what's clogging up the works with that tracer. If it's not a fault within the program, then something's gone wrong with the GPS. If that's the case, I'm afraid we aren't going to be able to rely on my tracer."

"We'll find other means, if that's the case," agreed Robert. "Please let me or the head of your department know the moment you find out what the issue is, Doctor."

* * *

Levi and Eren switched up after a short while, and Eren glanced at his lover as the agent rejoined him, sliding into the passenger seat. Levi's phone started to ring and he huffed irritably when he looked at the identification on the screen.

"It's four eyes," he announced before answering. "This better be good, you crazed goggle-face."

Levi listened to her response, and Eren could hear her voice faintly. The captain's pale gaze flicked to Eren and he pinched his lips before responding to the doctor. "Yeah, I ditched it. Eren pointed out that it didn't make any sense for you to know our location when I had the GPS turned off, so I figured it must be something like that. So how far up shit creak are we, Hange? What do these bastards know?"

Eren winced at the other man's harsh tone, but he understood Levi's frustration with Hange. He felt his lover's anger like a brewing storm. It was almost tangible. The dark look on Levi's face made Eren shiver, and he listened in on the conversation as best he could while paying attention to his driving.

"Do you realize the risk you put Eren in?" demanded Levi, glaring at the oncoming traffic lights. He checked the time on the dashboard clock. "Yeah, I know you've got to play a fucking role with these people, you nut. I know you've had to make it look good, but there's such a thing as taking it too far. If you hadn't contacted me earlier—"

Hange's shrill voice interrupted Levi, and Eren saw his throat work as he swallowed. In an attempt to ease his tension, the singer reached across the distance and he rubbed Levi's nearest thigh, his hand skimming over the straps of the smaller man's ODM gear. He bit his lip, finding himself inappropriately admiring the way those black pants and the tight black t-shirt fit Levi. The knee-high black boots completed the sensual image, and though Eren knew the outfit was meant to be practical in case of a combat situation, he couldn't help but think his boyfriend looked extremely hot in it.

"Hey Eren, you're drifting," muttered Levi, pausing in his conversation to look at the singer.

Eren flushed and he straightened out the vehicle's trajectory. "Whoops."

"Don't repeat my mistake," advised Levi, his tense expression easing a bit with amusement. "We haven't replaced the spare tire we used yet, so let's avoid getting another flat, shall we?"

"Right. Sorry." Eren squeezed his knee before retracting his hand and putting it on the wheel with the other one. Yeah, they _definitely_ didn't need another flat, especially if the BRS had an idea of their general location.

Levi resumed speaking with Hange. "So they haven't found any info on me yet, right? That's something, at least. Not that I've got any family left for the fuckers to threaten. Wait, you're transferring to Trost? What about your clinic?"

Levi's eyes widened briefly. "You're fucking kidding me."

"What is it?" pressed Eren, too curious to keep quiet.

Levi sighed and looked at him. "This crazy bitch is leaving her clinic in the hands of the doctor she works with, and she's leaving Leonhart behind as her informant if anything goes sketchy."

"What? Annie?" Eren felt just as bewildered as Levi sounded. He knew Annie worked for Hange, though he hadn't fully remembered her until recently. "Why would she _do_ that? Okay, I know we can't hold people totally accountable for things they did in the past life, but…it's _Annie_!"

"You're singing my tune," grumbled Levi. "You hear that, shitty glasses? Eren thinks you're out of your mind too."

"Well, I didn't say that," objected Eren, "but what is she thinking? She's already taking some big risks without relying on that…that…Annie!"

Levi's mouth twitched as Hange said something on the other line. "No, I'm not going to hand the phone over to Eren. He's driving and he's not the world's best at it. Oh, fuck off about the flat tire, Hange. I never said I was an expert at driving such a big vehicle."

Eren bit back a chuckle over Hange apparently calling Levi out on his assessment of his driving skills. "Hey, I haven't crashed yet," he reminded teasingly, "and I haven't flattened a tire, either."

"You just had to get in on it, didn't you?" groused Levi.

Eren shrugged. "Sorry Captain. The hypocrisy was kind of glaring."

"Little shit," grumbled the agent. He returned his attention to the woman on the phone. "No, damn it. Whatever you want to say to Eren can wait until tomorrow. We've got a lot of driving to do thanks to you, and I don't plan to stop until I know damned good and well that we've shaken your 'friends' off our trail."

Levi sighed in response to Hange's reply to that, and he looked at Eren again. "She says she's sorry about taking such a gamble with your safety, Eren."

Eren forced a smile. "It's okay. Remember when you once told me that I was only up for doing my part if there were absolutely no risks involved? I mean in our previous life."

Levi nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Can't say I really blame you for not wanting your hands and feet severed, though."

Eren shrugged. "I think Miss Hange took a calculated risk based on what she had available to her, sir. Isn't that what we've always done? She warned us in time, and I trust her."

"You're too damned generous," sighed Levi. "Well, did you hear that, Hange? The idiot here forgives you, so you can stop worrying about it."

This time, Eren heard her response clearly enough. " _You really need to work on your sweet-talk, garbage mouth!_ _That's no way to talk about the man you love!_ "

"It's okay, Miss Hange," Eren called, fighting back laughter at the flush in Levi's cheeks. "He's got other ways of showing his affection!"

Levi sighed. "Great, now you've got her started. No, four eyes, I'm not giving you any details. You just keep a close eye on those bastards and keep us updated on any new developments. As soon as you find out exactly what their plans for Eren are, I want to know about it and I'm sure Erwin will, too. No, we haven't found our mole yet." He paused, and a smirk curved his lips. "Oh yeah? Fetid little creep, eh? I'll bet he shat himself, too. Nicely done. You should have told me that from the start. I might not have gotten so pissed."

Levi listened to her response, and he nodded. "Right. You know I will. Just don't take any more wild risks if you can help it. We don't need you getting Eren caught in your efforts to get in deep with this organization, clear? Yeah, all right. Good night."

Levi hung up the phone with a tired little sigh, and he squinted when an oncoming car kept its brights on. "Turn your brights off, you fucker," complained Levi, and he un-fastened his seat belt and nearly crawled into Eren's lap to flick their brights back at the motorist warningly. The other vehicle's headlights dimmed accordingly, and Levi got back in his seat.

"I could have done that," Eren said. "Not that I've got a problem with you getting into my lap."

"Hmm, don't tempt me," answered the smaller man in a tone that wasn't entirely kidding. He leaned over to give the singer's ear a quick, enticing nibble. "I'm going to take a short nap. I'll set my phone alarm to wake me up in a couple of hours, and then I'll take over driving again. If anything suspicious happens, you shout out to me."

Eren nodded. "Sure. You should get what rest you can, Levi. I don't want you wearing yourself out."

He gave a mischievous smirk when Levi got out of his seat to retreat to the back, and he boldly paid him back for earlier. He gave the captain's pert, toned little bottom a firm, open-handed swat and when Levi stared at him in surprise, Eren grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

"Hey, I can do it too, right?"

"Hmph. You're lucky I'm tired, Jaeger." There was a little flash of humor in the smaller man's eyes, belying his warning tone. "See you in a couple of hours."

* * *

Mike practically knocked their office door down, early the next morning. The director gave such a violent start at the sudden barging in that he accidentally pushed half the stack of paperwork off of his desk.

"Fuck, Mike," blurted Erwin, forgetting his verbal manners. "Is there a fire?"

"I've sniffed them out," announced Mike in a low, intense voice.

Still nursing his morning cup of coffee, Erwin wasn't quite awake enough just yet to follow him. "And whom would you be referring to?"

"Our mole." The bigger blond locked the office door, and he crossed the room to have a seat across from Erwin's desk. "I'm sure of it. I could smell it on him as I passed him in the corridor. He works in the analytics department. It's not a field agent after all, unless there's more than one of them."

Erwin frowned. He and Mike had interviewed every field agent in their division. While he still had some difficulty getting on board with the idea of the man actually being able to "read" people through their scent alone, he'd witnessed Mike exposing suspects on more than one occasion by doing just that.

"What exactly did he smell like, and what is his name?"

"Trevor Davis, but I don't know if that's his actual name or an alias. As for the smell, it's not easy to describe. Kind of sour…the scent of fear. I overheard the conversation he was a part of at the water cooler and the minute one of his coworkers said we've been working our way through departments trying to expose a mole, the guy started reeking. I took down his work schedule and we can make our move as soon as you're ready."

Erwin considered this information carefully. Mike _had_ been mistaken a couple of times in the past, and if he took this man into custody with accusations based on no more than a smell. Even at his level in the chain of command, Erwin still had superiors to answer to. "We need to be absolutely sure. We'll move on to the analytics department with the lie detector testing. If the detector agrees with your nose, then we'll take Mr. Davis into custody and begin questioning."

"Better move fast," suggested Mike. "If he catches wind of it, he'll bolt."

"Then make sure that doesn't happen. If he tries to slip out for any reason, then he'll be revealing his guilt. Get Jinn and Ral on it as well. Those two seem to work well together."

Mike nodded. "Sure. Think we should call Ackerman and let him know?"

Erwin sighed, uncertain about that. So far the only thing that Levi had reported noticeably compromised was his GPS navigation system, but a good hacker could manage to tap into a phone or system without leaving any evidence, unless the user was good enough with computers to know what to look for. Levi didn't fit into that category. For all they knew, the enemy had been listening in on his calls for days now. Erwin flushed at the thought, remembering the last conversation he'd had with Levi. He wondered what an eavesdropper would have thought of the subject of past lives and titans and legendary military branches.

 _~They would probably assume we were speaking in code,~_ he reasoned silently, _~At least, I hope so. If my superiors were to hear us speaking like that, they would likely have us both put on suspension for being delusional and have us psychologically analyzed. Perhaps even involuntarily committed.~_

"Boss, are you blushing?" Mike sniffed the air in his direction, and when Erwin cursed softly, he furrowed his brows. "What aren't you telling me, sir?"

Erwin heaved a sigh, wondering if he would be making a mistake by asking Mike the question that was on his mind. He trusted the man though, and they'd had many an odd conversation themselves over the years…generally while having drinks after work. "Mike, do you believe in reincarnation?"

The human bloodhound's brow lifted. He shrugged. "Interesting change of subject. I dunno…maybe. Why?"

Erwin shook his head. He could see that Mike wasn't likely to be very receptive if he tried to explain everything behind that inquiry. "Loaded question. Never mind."

Mike tilted his head, dog-like. "Should I be concerned? Something's eating you."

"I'm simply overworked," excused Erwin. He narrowed his blue eyes at the files on his desk, not really seeing them. "Contacting Levi at this point may prove risky; especially if our mole has any of our numbers tapped. I don't want to risk giving him any further warning about our internal investigation if I can avoid it. As you said: he is a flight risk."

What frustrated Erwin even more was the fact that he'd been using Levi's true name when he called him, and if anyone _was_ listening in, that meant he'd blown his agent's cover. He clenched a fist beneath the table and he prayed that wasn't the case. If it was, then the damage was already done. If not, then it really didn't matter. Erwin himself didn't require an alias, seeing as he didn't participate in field missions any longer.

"So be subtle," advised Mike. "You're good at that. Speak in code or something. Levi's smart enough to figure it out, I'm sure."

Erwin smirked, faintly amused that he'd just been imagining an intrusive party believing they'd been speaking in code when discussing past lives. "I suppose he needs to know. Just make sure the suspect can't slip away before we question him."

* * *

Levi wasn't responding to the ringing of his phone. Eren glanced over at his exhausted companion, completely empathizing with his fatigue. The man had driven until sunrise when he took his turn at the wheel, stopping only to get fuel. The shadows under Levi's eyes were more pronounced, but he'd been determined to keep moving. They were heading back down south now, on the outer side of the continent.

"Levi," Eren said hesitantly, loathe to wake him but presuming the call might be important. He bit his lip, looking over at him. The captain was curled up in a fetal position in the passenger seat, with his folded hands cradling his cheek, facing Eren. His leather jacket was draped over him for warmth. He looked so damned cute, even with those dark smudges under his eyes.

"Sir, your phone," Eren said, leaning over to shake him. He changed his mind and he stroked his hair instead. "I'll just answer that for you and see if it's important," he decided at length. "Please don't get mad at me, okay?"

Eren delved into the other man's jacket pocket where the ringtone was coming from, and he grimaced as he kept one eye on the road and pulled out his phone. He saw the words: _"Titanic Creep"_ show up on the screen, and he could only think of one person Levi would nickname that way.

"Great," sighed Eren. Well, if it was Erwin, then it must be important enough to answer. He brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

There was a brief silence, and then: "Mr. Jaeger, is that you?"

"Er, no. This is Jake Murphy," corrected Eren uncomfortably, remembering how strongly he'd been warned to get used to going by his alias. "I don't know anybody named 'Jaeger'."

"There's no point in worrying about code names over the phone now," Erwin told him. "If this number is still secure, it's safe. If not then it's simply pointless, as the culprits will have already heard the use of both your names."

"Oh." Remembering that Levi had told him the agency thought they had a mole, Eren wasn't quite sure what to say next. It was possible that the only "mole" was actually Hange.

"Where is Agent Ackerman, son?"

Eren glanced at Levi. "Sleeping, sir. He drove most of the night. Uh, do I need to wake him up for you?"

"Heavens no," Erwin hastily answered. "I would never hear the end of it. You can pass on this message to him for me, though: we found that rat behind the walls in his office. So far it doesn't seem to have a nest, but we'll have the exterminators search thoroughly before assuming the pest problem is taken care of."

"Ew, he had a rat in his wall?" Eren grimaced. "That had to be freaking him out."

Erwin cleared his throat, sounding suspiciously like he was covering up a sound of amusement. "Er…yes. Ackerman doesn't tolerate pests of any kind very well. Just relay that message for me, Eren."

"Okay, I will. Um, sir? Have you heard from Glasses yet?" Eren didn't know how else to refer to Hange without using her name, though if Erwin's concern over the phone proved correct, it was probably too late to be subtle about that. The singer's heart pounded with the sudden fear that Hange had been found out and was in serious danger.

"I'm afraid not. Is there something she was meant to report to me?"

Eren's jaw tightened, and he looked at the now empty slot in the console where Levi had gutted the GPS and tossed it out. "Well, you know that problem we had with the thing?"

"I'm…afraid I don't follow. Which 'thing'?"

"The um…" Eren struggled for some way to describe the navigation system without giving away what it actually was. If it weren't for his concern for Hange, he would have just said it, but now he was feeling paranoid. "You know, the screen in here. We had an issue with it glitching because the uh…mechanics tampered with it?"

It took Erwin a moment to respond. "I think I know what you're talking about, yes. What of it?"

"We found out how it got messed up," explained Eren. "It wasn't what we thought. It's gone now, though, and we don't need to worry about that anymore."

"What do you mean, 'it's gone'?" Erwin demanded.

"Well sir, since it was…broken…Levi chucked it." Eren felt like he was trying to speak sign language to a blind man. This was very awkward.

Erwin sighed. "I see. What else has he destroyed in that vehicle?"

"Nothing," Eren quickly said, wincing. Shit, he may have just gotten Levi in trouble. "It was totally useless, Director Smith, and it was uh…screwing up other functions on the dash. Tossing it out was the only way to be sure it wouldn't cause serious harm, you know?"

"Ah," said Erwin, his voice relaxing a bit. "Then that's acceptable. I don't suppose you could elaborate on what the actual problem was and who exactly was responsible for it?"

"I wish I could sir, but I don't want to get someone I care for in serious trouble." Eren bit his lip again, hoping the commander understood the gist of it. "It wasn't Levi, by the way, if that's what you're thinking."

"No, of course not. That would make no sense." Erwin's voice dropped a little. "But he did throw it out…"

Eren nearly rolled his eyes. Smith was as frugal in this life as he'd been in the last. It was amazing he'd actually splurged on this RV to begin with. "Well, hopefully you'll hear from Glasses before long. I…would call myself, but…"

"Understood. I should let you go now, Jaeger. Tell Levi that he'll be informed as soon as we've rid his office of the rat problem, and hopefully we can confirm whether his phone is compromised or not, by the end of the day."

"Okay. Good luck with that rat issue, sir."

* * *

Erwin rubbed his temples after hanging up the phone with Eren. Mike had just walked through the door with Eld and Petra as he ended the call, and the taller blond looked at his boss expectantly. "Well, how did it go?"

"It was like playing a game of charades over the phone," Erwin said with a rueful smirk. "Mr. Jaeger really isn't the world's best at speaking in or interpreting code talk."

"So you didn't speak with our SAC, sir?" Eld pressed.

Erwin shook his head. "No. Levi was asleep and I simply relayed the message to Jaeger to give to him. He took it quite literally."

"Mph…what did you say to him?" asked Mike.

Erwin opened his desk drawer to procure his bottle of aspirin. "I told him that Levi had a rat in the walls of his office and it was being dealt with. He didn't seem to pick up on the actual meaning at all. Then he attempted to tell me some news himself, and I'm still not entirely sure if he was speaking of the GPS system or the little television screen mounted over the passenger seat. He's rather an airhead."

"I think he's sweet," announced Petra. "And really cute."

Eld shot her a look, and she slumped a little. "I mean, if you like brunets…"

Erwin was too strained to care much about their little interaction, though he did take note of it. There were no rules against dating fellow employees, so long as it didn't interfere with either party's work relationship. "Well, what I did get out of our conversation was that Dr. Zoë apparently has something to report to me, and she has yet to do it. Ackerman failed to report in as well."

"He's got his hands full," defended Eld. "I'm sure after he gets some rest, he'll get back to you."

"Not likely, if Eren remembers to give him my message." Erwin looked at each of them in turn. "Levi won't risk it. Not from his or Jaeger's personal phones, at any rate."

"Maybe they aren't compromised at all," suggested Mike. "I'll get people started on confirming that as soon as we have our mole secured."

Erwin nodded, satisfied enough with that.

* * *

Hange hadn't reported to Erwin yet because she'd flown to Trost. The transfer to the main research facility took place much faster than she'd expected. She'd barely gotten the chance to inform her work colleague that she would be out of town for an indeterminable period of time due to a "family illness", and she checked in with Annie. The handling of the clinic's finances and payroll was already taken care of; she had a reliable guy for that. She let Armin know what was going on, telling him not to worry and promising him that she would be careful, and then she packed and took the first available flight from Tarsus Valley to Trost.

Her colleagues were understanding when she explained that something must have gone wrong with the GPS itself and she couldn't hone in on it any longer. Hange suspected they were so easy going about it because Henderson was so eager to get her the hell away from him, after their encounter. The man didn't exactly make a secret of it that he wasn't sorry to see her transfer far away from him.

She actually decided not to inform Erwin that the tracer on Levi's GPS was her doing. Though the man was generally even tempered, she imagined he would be less charitable if she told him that she'd accidentally compromised Levi's mission. Levi was terrifying enough…he could deal with Erwin. Jetlagged from her flight, Hange's feet were dragging when she exited the plane and went to collect her luggage.

She found a man and a woman waiting for her as she exited her gate, both dressed sharply in dark blue blazers and matching pants. The woman held a sign up that read: _"Dr. Zoë"_. The man looked to be in his early forties, roughly 5'8" tall with collar-length blond hair. The woman was younger, probably no older than thirty. She was around Hange's height and build with her black hair kept in a pixie cut.

Dragging her feet to a stop before them, Hange gave a tired smile. "You must be my ride. Hange Zoë. And you are?"

The man shook her hand first. "Dr. Noel Clyde, and this is our head of security, Captain Jackie Roper. It's an honor to meet you, Dr. Zoë."

Hange shook hands with the woman next, and she chuckled. "I didn't know I had such a far-stretching reputation."

"Word travels fast," explained Noel. "But you must be tired from your trip. We can speak more in the car on the way to your new residency. It's all been set up for you, and you can rest for a few days before taking the tour of our facilities."

"Sounds great," Hange enthused. "They showed me a few photos of the place before I left, and it looks even more impressive than the Tarsus Valley facilities. I'm looking forward to working with your team."

"Let us take care of your luggage, ma'am," offered Captain Roper. "Just point it out to me when you see it in baggage claim."

"Ah, thank you. I am pooped! I've been pulling all-nighters since joining and I didn't get much sleep before they had me on the plane to come here."

* * *

Levi stirred again when it was close to noon, and he stretched in his seat and covered up a yawn. He cursed softly as he straightened up and rubbed his neck. "Damn, I slept rough. Should have gone to the back and crashed in the bed."

"Sorry. I would have woken you up to suggest that, but you looked pretty comfortable." Eren's eyes were starting to glaze with his own obvious exhaustion, but he leaned over and reached out with one hand to rub the back of Levi's neck for him. "Erwin called while you were out, by the way. I went ahead and answered it instead of waking you up. I hope you don't mind."

"It's fine," said Levi around another yawn. He bowed his head, enjoying Eren's thoughtful massage. Sleeping in ODM harness wasn't the most comfortable way to get shuteye, even without his pairing blades and, wires and canisters attached to it. The cramped position in the chair didn't help. "So what did the big guy have to say?"

"He said the rat problem in your office is being taken care of, and the exterminators are going to make sure there isn't a nest."

Levi's brows pinched. "Rat problem? I don't _have_ a r—oh." His face relaxed as he cracked the code.

"Levi?" Eren paused in rubbing his neck to look at him inquisitively.

"It seems they've found a mole after all," explained Levi.

Dawning comprehension lit Eren's vivid eyes up. "Ohh! So that's what he was talking about? I thought it was a strange thing to call you up to say, considering we have bigger problems on our hands." He shrugged. "I just figured since you're so clean it must be a big deal for you."

"Heh. It would be, if I actually had a rat infestation in my office. Pretty sure by 'rat' he meant 'spy', though. I guess he didn't want to just come out and say it for security reasons." Levi frowned, and he pulled out his phone to examine it. "I fucking hope nobody's been able to tap in. It's never happened to me before, but we've never dealt with an organization like this before, either."

"I'm worried about Hange," confessed Eren. "She hasn't contacted Erwin yet, and you said she sounded pretty frantic over the phone last night when she first called you about the GPS. What if someone _has_ tapped into one or both of our lines and now they know she's working with the UFI?"

"Hange's going to be fine," Levi tried to assure him. "Don't forget she can be flaky, especially when she's caught up in science shit. If she _does_ get found out, I've got no doubt she'll get her ass out of there before they even know she's gone."

"Yeah, but what about her clinic? What about her home? If they find out about her, it won't be safe for her to return to either and she'll be stuck in the same situation I am."

"Eren, I promise you that if that happens, Hange's going to have the sense to know to go straight to the UFI for protection. Erwin will see to it that she's protected, too. In fact, I feel kind of sorry for the bastard that screws with her. She'd probably take a few of them down on her way out the door."

"I guess you're right," sighed Eren. "Damn, I wish I could call my mom, but now I don't feel secure doing that." He would have expected for it to be confusing to him, to remember a mother from another life. They were _both_ his mother however, though different women.

"Wait until we know for sure whether we need to get new phones," advised Levi. He checked the next highway sign to see where they were, and he got out the road atlas. "The next town has a smaller UFI branch. We can stop in there and have everything checked out by their techs, after we've stopped somewhere for lunch."

"Okay." Eren fought back a yawn, and Levi nodded at the upcoming exit. "Here, screw it. Just take this exit and stop at the first decent food joint. We'll switch after we eat so you can get some rest. How is our fuel looking?"

Eren checked. "Half a tank."

"That'll get us to Rookery Point. We'll fuel back up there after paying a visit to their UFI branch and stay the night before we move on. I think it's safe enough to stop traveling for one day now and take a rest."

"That sounds good to me." Eren gave him a tired smile. "Sorry if I'm being a little paranoid, Levi."

"Tch. You're no worse than I am. I'm the one that insisted we both put on the gear harnesses and travel this way." Levi's gaze roved over his companion. "I know it's still a bit uncomfortable for you to wear it for very long."

Eren nodded and fisted his hand over his mouth when another yawn struck him, making him shiver. "It's not that bad. I'm getting used to it again."

* * *

Levi allowed them to scan his ID when he and Eren arrived at the Rookery Point UFI headquarters. They matched up his alias with his agent file and the director showed he and Eren to the tech department to have their electronics checked out. While they waited for that process to finish, they retired to the RV for a little nap. The agency promised to send someone out to knock when they finished scanning the laptops and phones.

"God, I'm tired," announced Eren as he flopped down on the bed in their vehicle. He rolled onto his back and he looked up at his lover as the agent climbed on with him, hovering over him. Levi straddled him, crouched over the singer on his hands and knees above him. "Okay, maybe I'm not as tired as I thought," amended Eren, sliding his hands over Levi's ass. His fingers slipped under the harness straps crossing over Levi's bottom and hips, and he smiled lazily up at him.

"Oi, we shouldn't be fooling around right here in the agency parking lot," Levi pointed out, even as he lowered his head to nuzzle Eren's jaw with soft lips. "It won't give a very professional impression if they come out here to fetch us and realize I'm screwing my client in here."

Eren chuckled, and he released the straps to let them snap back into place, drawing a little hiss from Levi. He rubbed the spots slowly and he traced the other man's lips with the tip of his tongue. "You're the one that started crawling all over me," purred the singer.

"So I did," breathed Levi. His comely features had a look of concentration on them, and Eren felt him swell against him with answering desire, their crotches hardening and rubbing against each other through their pants. It touched something primal in him, and he snapped Levi's harness straps again in the same place.

Levi gasped softly. "You're kinkier in this life than you were before."

"Is it off-putting?" asked Eren softly, feeling a little uncertain. Maybe he'd misread Levi's reaction to the strap snapping.

"No." Levi shook his head. "Hell, I've been popping you on the ass too. I'd be a hypocrite to object to a little turnabout. I think I woke the beast when I took you last night, Jaeger."

"I think maybe you did," agreed Eren softly. He'd always been more of a romantic, but then, he'd been so young when they were involved in their previous life. As an adult, he felt a little more adventurous and less shy...but Levi's very hotness made it easy to feel inspired. Not to mention, the man had always had a thing for assertive partners and being held down. Spanking hadn't been part of Eren's routine with him, though.

Eren put his arms around Levi and he rolled with him, pinning his solid, smaller frame beneath him. "I can be more romantic if you want, Captain."

"Eren," warned Levi, face flushing charmingly, "You're gonna get me worked up, damn it."

"I haven't already?" teased the brunet. He started kissing Levi's throat. "Do I need to try harder, sir?"

Levi groaned softly when Eren nibbled on his earlobe, unbuttoned his shirt midway down and reached into it to fondle a sensitive nipple. "Shit, Eren…that's the problem. You don't have to try at all to get me turned on, you bastard."

Eren smirked happily against the smooth, fair skin he was kissing. He ground his hips between the agent's thighs, creating a friction between them that both delighted and tantalized the senses. He hadn't intended to start making out with the man, but when Levi straddled him that way his libido immediately shot through the roof and took over. Eren surprised himself with a playful little growl, nipping at Levi's neck gently. The captain's breath caught, indicating that he enjoyed it.

"Fuck, Jaeger." Levi's hands clutched at the other man's shoulders. He rutted beneath him and he caught Eren's mouth with his, delving in with his tongue demandingly.

 _~He likes it. It's really getting him hot. Why the hell didn't I try doing some of this sooner?~_

But Eren knew why. He'd been afraid to, afraid of triggering something negative in Levi, and afraid of accidentally getting too rough with him. Besides that, Levi was an intimidating man. Gorgeous yes, but scary as fuck when he got pissed off. Eren neither wanted to hurt him or risk his ire by getting careless.

Eren paused in his kissing, sucking and nipping to murmur hotly into Levi's ear. "That thing you did with your tongue to me? I'd like to do that to you, Levi. Tonight, when we've settled in for bed."

Levi grabbed Eren's hair in a firm grip, but he didn't tug hard enough to do more than get the singer's attention and make him lift his head. The captain's eyes practically gleamed silver in the beam of afternoon light that shone through the slit in the curtain covering the nearby window. "You serious?"

Eren nodded as much as the other man's tight hold on his hair would allow, and he brushed his thumb over Levi's other nipple, making him shiver. "Absolutely. I almost did it the other night, but I chickened out because I've never tried it with you before. I didn't think you'd go for it."

"Because I'm a germophobe?" guessed Levi with a wry little smirk, his breath coming out fast and hard with lust.

"Just a little." Eren smiled at him, and he stared at the way that beam of light shone on the man's deep black hair. He paused in fondling his chest to stroke his fingers through that dark hair, admiring how it shone. It was so soft, too. "There's actually a lot of things I'd like to try with you, but I've spent the whole week playing 'catch up' with my memories and…well, I might as well admit that I had no experience in my previous life to even think of some of this stuff. I remember kissing you all over the last night we were together, but not the way I want to do it tonight. We've been getting re-acquainted and I didn't want to freak you out trying anything too unexpected."

"Don't sell yourself short on the subject of how you handled yourself in bed in that past life," Levi murmured. "You didn't have any experience under your belt before me, yeah, but you were damned determined, Eren. You were a fast learner." He tilted his head a little, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully at him. "And don't be afraid to ask if you've got something you want to try. The worst I'll do is say 'no'."

Levi released his hold on Eren's hair and he stroked it, reciprocating Eren's loving attentions. He smirked up at him. "Besides, you were willing to bottom for me. I think we can probably work out a compromise, as long as it doesn't involve something like 'golden showers' or eating each other's shit or something disgusting like that."

"Uh, that would be a _huge_ 'no'," assured Eren with a breathless laugh. He started to blush at the thoughts spinning through his head, making him dizzy just picturing it. "L-Levi…"

Shit, he was getting shy again. It was like that time with the damned lovemaking book all over again, and Eren gulped. What was it about this man that made him get flustered and bashful so easily? One minute he was ready to jump his bones and the next, he wanted to put a bag over his head. It was that steady, pale stare of Levi's, he decided. The captain's gaze always seemed to slide right through him, like a knife through warm butter.

Levi's breathing pattern slowed a bit as he regained some composure, and he cupped Eren's chin. The authority was back, and he spoke in a low, encouraging tone. "When you asked me back then if you could make love to me, did I make fun of you?"

"A little, yeah. You did it again when I recovered the memory, in fact."

"Tch. Okay, well I promise whatever it is that you're wanting to ask me to do, I'll hear you out and I won't give you a hard time about it. I don't ever want you to be afraid of requesting something from me, brat. Just like you did a minute ago. Did I refuse you when you said you want to rim me?"

"Well no, but I figured that was a safe request to make, since you did it to me." Eren bit his lip, studying the smaller man's fine-boned features. He closed his eyes and he took a deep breath when Levi silently waited for him to go on. It was easier to say it without those piercing gray eyes staring into his soul. "Okay, here goes. Captain, I w-want to—"

Eren's sentence was interrupted by a knock on the side door of the RV, and he jerked, startled. "Oh shit, are they finished already?" He didn't realize they'd been in here for very long.

"Maybe not," sighed Levi. "Shit. I'd better put my jacket on before I answer that. I've got a raging boner, now."

Eren grimaced and he looked down at his own crotch as he levered off of his companion so that Levi could get up. "Me too. Damn, I…" He met Levi's gaze again, and he sighed again. He couldn't say it now. The ambience of the moment was compromised by the interruption, and what little nerve Eren had remaining fled.

"You can tell me tonight," suggested Levi. "Maybe you'll feel more confident when we don't have to worry about anyone knocking on the door." He reached out to cup the back of Eren's head, and he drew him in for a kiss.

"Yeah…" Eren swallowed, wondering how in the hell he was going to find the courage to ask _this_ of Levi. Doing it with him was bound to be much different from the couple of previous experiences he'd had. It was Levi, after all.

Levi covered up his condition with his jacket, and he went to answer the door. Eren listened to Levi speaking to the agent waiting on the other side, and he heard the woman offer to let him use the landline in her office while he was waiting for the scanning process to complete.

"I'm sure you probably need to touch bases with your branch, Agent Ackerman," she told him. "It could be another hour before your equipment is fully scanned."

"Thanks, but I'll wait," Levi said. "My director knows our situation, and there's nothing new that bears immediate reporting."

"Understood," she answered. "Let us know if you need anything else while you're here."

"Thank you."

Levi closed the door, and he returned to the back of the RV. He unzipped his jacket and he sat down to take his shoes off before doing the same for Eren. "Shit, I didn't even think to take our shoes off. Guess I'll need to wash the bedding tomorrow."

"I didn't think of it either." Eren stared at Levi as he finished what he was doing and lay down beside him. He adjusted the pillow his head was lying on, and he put his arm around Levi with a sigh, scooching closer to him.

"So why don't you tell me what you wanted to ask me to do, Eren?"

The singer's eyes slitted open, and he winced. "Because I've lost my nerve. I thought you said I could tell you later."

"Yeah, but now you've got me curious as hell." Levi ran a hand over Eren's hip. "Are you gonna leave me waiting and wondering, you shitty brat?"

Eren licked his lips nervously, his blush returning in full.

"Just do it like you did when you told me you want to lick my asshole," pressed Levi.

Eren's eyes popped wide at the lewd way the captain put it. "Well, I didn't say it like _that_."

"Heh. You forget whom you're talking to. I've got no manners." Levi shrugged, and he traced Eren's fly with a fingertip. "Go ahead, Jaeger. Tell me."

It sounded more like an order than encouragement, and Eren found himself caving. He pulled Levi close, swallowed again and he uttered the perverse words into his ear. "I want to spank you."

One of Levi's thin black brows rose as Eren pulled back to look at him, tense with anticipation. "Oh, really?"

He wasn't laughing. Not even the little "heh" sound he made when amused. His expression was unreadable, but Eren detected a flash in his eyes that he knew to be intrigue. Perhaps he _hadn't_ misread the other man's reactions to his playing earlier. It bolstered his confidence again, at least enough to clarify. Eren Jaeger was, after all, often accused of having more guts than brains.

"Yes," he said in a rush. "I want to spank your ass until it's blushing and then lick your hole until you're screaming my name and…oh my fucking god, I can't believe I'm saying this to you!"

"You're fine," Levi said breathlessly, his eyes flashing again. "That was hot, hearing you say that. Like sex to the ears."

Eren was again taken by surprise, though given Levi's demonstrated tastes, he probably shouldn't be. "So…are you saying you're…okay with that?"

"Hmm. Talk dirty to me some more while we wait on the scans to finish. Tell me how you'd do it if I let you, Eren."

"Bare-handed," answered the singer impulsively, hardly believing he wasn't getting shot down immediately. His confidence increased again as Levi traced his right ear gently with his fingertip, making it tingle.

"So you want to feel your palm crack against my bare ass, right?"

The mental imagery was so exciting that Eren sprang to full hardness again, and he groaned and closed his eyes. "Yeah. That's what I want."

"You filthy fucking pervert."

Eren's eyes blinked open, and the disappointment and embarrassment he felt immediately faded when he saw the teasing smirk on Levi's mouth. "Thought you said you weren't going to pick on me."

"I'm not." Levi shrugged. "I'm just telling it like it is. So are you going to eat me out really good, Eren?"

Worked up past modesty or uncertainty now, Eren answered that with a desperate kiss. He grabbed Levi's ass and he squeezed it firmly, yanking him up hard against him. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to do much more than rub against each other and exchange wet, deep kisses. Both of them were rasping for breath by the time another agent came to knock on their RV door and inform them that their electronics had been scanned and were waiting for them. Apparently, there was no evidence of a security breach. All of the items came up clean.

The couple waited until they both calmed down before going into the building to retrieve their things, and Eren could not take his eyes off of Levi's ass the entire time he followed him.

* * *

-To be continued


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's note: This chapter has been heavily edited to comply with this site's censorship policies. If you want to read the full version, please go to Archive of our Own. Thank you._

After getting everything in order, they left the parking lot of the UFI building, stopped off for fuel and found a camper park to stay in for the night. Levi went ahead and showered while Eren called his mother to let her know he was still okay. He also tried to reach Hange twice, but it went straight to her voice mail. Levi had dressed in his robe and was combing out his hair by the time Eren got off the phone.

"All yours, Jaeger. I'll call Smith while you're getting cleaned up."

Eren nodded and went into the lavatory to have his shower while Levi called his boss. As the singer showered, he kept thinking of the conversation he and Levi had earlier, and he started getting hard. He glanced down at his groin, and he debated with himself. One thing he'd learned about playing around the way he intended to with Levi was that it was always a good idea not to go into it overly excited. He needed to have a measure of control, and Levi tended to get him worked up so easily just by looking at him. Not that Eren had a lot of first-hand experience with spanking play, but he'd read up on it before actually trying it, and the recipient definitely seemed to be impressed.

"Me and my smut books," sighed Eren. Well, he wasn't about to risk losing control with Levi and turning him off of it, if they should happen to explore his idea. Eren reached down to take care of himself so that he wouldn't lose his head tonight.

* * *

"What the hell do you mean he got away?" Levi scowled into the phone as he paced the RV. "I thought you had people watching him, Erwin."

"I intended to," explained Erwin, "but apparently we didn't act quickly enough. The suspect heard that we were going to be questioning his department next and he slipped out before he could be detained. He moved very quickly…quicker than anticipated. I believed we had more time to move in on him, but I was wrong."

"Damn it," snapped Levi, dragging his fingers through his damp hair.

"We're going to do all that we can to find him," Erwin reassured. "Mike has already gone with a team of agents to investigate his residency and search for clues as to where he may have gone. Just keep doing what you've been doing and keep Jaeger safe. Let us handle the investigating on this side."

Levi sat down on the couch. "Well, at least I've got confirmation that our phones and computers haven't been compromised, yet. We stopped at Rookery Point and went to the UFI headquarters here to have it all scanned again. They didn't find anything suspicious."

"That's a cold comfort to me," sighed Erwin. "This suspect may have already been nosing around in our files, Levi. That means he could have your true identity."

"What the hell are they gonna do with that information?" challenged Levi, "Blackmail me? They can't do shit with it if they want to maintain their secrecy. My address isn't on file either, so they can't use that information to find out where I live."

"I truly hope that you're right, but there's no point in worrying about it right now. Just watch yourself, Ackerman." Erwin's voice softened a bit at the end.

"Right." Levi nearly wished his boss goodnight and ended the call, but then he remembered that a certain mad scientist's status was still unknown. "Oh hey, have you heard anything from Hange today at all?"

"Not a thing," answered Erwin, "which reminds me, what was that business Eren was talking about with a screen being broken in the RV and you tossing it out? Was he referring to the GPS?"

"Yeah." Levi grimaced, knowing his boss did not like the thought of wasting money. "Had to. Hange, the crazy bitch, was the one tapping into our signal and keeping an eye on our location."

"…You said she was trustworthy, Levi. Do we need to concern ourselves with her turning on us too, now?"

"No. She's trustworthy." Levi grimaced a bit. "Or as trustworthy as her sanity allows. She had this lunatic idea to gain the full trust of the enemy by pretending to hand in Eren's location to them, and then she warned us last night. I ripped the damned navigation system out so it can't be used to track us again. Sorry I haven't been able to report that until now."

"What is this woman _thinking_?" sputtered Erwin, losing a bit of his cool.

"Damned if I could tell you. Look, she's got a plan. Fuck if I know what it _is_ , but whatever she's doing is working. She's getting in tight with those bastards and I'm confident she'll have intel for you soon. Just give her another day or two; we don't know how close she's being monitored and she may not have had the opportunity yet to report."

"And you just spoke with her last night?"

"Didn't I just tell you that?" Levi snapped. "Yes chief, I spoke with her last night. Get your ears checked."

"I'm just trying to understand why she would take such a huge risk," muttered Erwin, clearly perplexed.

Levi shrugged. "She's Hange. That's the short explanation. Just trust me, Erwin. I know it's confusing as hell, but…just trust me. I'm asking you to do that."

There was a pause. "I do," said Erwin softly. "God help me, I do."

"Good." Levi heard the lavatory door open, and he twisted on the couch to see Eren stepping out with his hair mussed and wet, and a towel draped around his waist. Suddenly the agent's thoughts weren't on Hange, the escaped mole or where he and Eren would go next.

"I've got to let you go, Director," Levi stated. "I'll check in with you tomorrow."

* * *

Levi didn't wait for Erwin's response before hanging up. His eyes devoured Eren's tanned form as he left his phone on the couch, got up and closed the distance between them. He took in the sleek musculature of the singer's body as he approached, and he pushed Eren up against the wall wordlessly, tweaking his light brown nipples as he lunged in for a kiss. He had some frustration to work off, not just from being so horny earlier, but also from the situation with the mole vanishing.

"Mmph, well hello again to you too," mumbled Eren against his lips, his cheekbones darkening a bit with heat. "How long was I in there? I didn't go far."

Levi grabbed Eren's towel and he yanked it deftly off of his body, exposing him fully. He dropped the towel to the floor as the singer's beautiful green eyes widened and lightened, gaining a smatter of gold in them. "It was long enough, brat," informed Levi huskily. He ran his hands over Eren's biceps and lower arms, before grabbing the taller man's wrists and turning around to pull him toward the bed.

"Um, Levi?" Eren peeked at him from beneath damp brown bangs, and he started untying the belt of the agent's robe. "About what we talked about earlier…"

"Yeah?" Levi kissed and nipped at Eren's clavicle. "Didn't say 'no', did I?" he reminded.

"I know." Eren stopped in his tracks, and he put his arms around Levi, slipping his hands into the opening of his robe. "Just a minute, please."

"Do you want to spank my ass or not?" demanded Levi. "Make up your mind. I'm horny as hell."

Eren laughed a little shakenly, his teeth flashing white. He toyed with the Wings of Freedom pendant hanging around Levi's throat. His ears were even blushing now. "Of course I do, but I'm going to tell you the same thing you told me last night."

He cupped Levi's face in his hands and he stared into his eyes with such devotion, it made the agent's heart skip a beat. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, Captain. If at any time you don't like what I'm doing, I'll stop. Just think up a safe word to use, okay?"

Levi shrugged. "Okay. 'Shit'."

Eren's brows knitted. "What, 'shit' as your safe word? Levi, if you use that, then I'm going to be stopping before I even start. That's like your favorite word to use besides 'fuck'."

"Hmm, good point." Levi was more excited over this than he thought should be reasonable, but he'd always had a thing for rough sex, even when it caused a little pain. He knew damned well by now that Jaeger would never take it too far with him. "I can't think of one. You've got my fucking head swimming."

Eren reached down to curl his fist around Levi's arousal, still staring into his eyes as he stroked it slowly and lovingly. "Do you want me to come up with one for you, beautiful?"

" _'Beautiful'_ , tsk," muttered Levi, but he couldn't look away from that stunning gaze. "At least you aren't calling me _'baby'_. Go ahead, Eren. What's your idea of a good safe word?"

The bright eyes softened on Levi as Eren touched the pendant again, and then the singer eased Levi's robes off of him to let it pool on the floor. Levi didn't even give a shit. He kicked the robe and Eren's discarded towel aside, leaving the items where they fell for now to be picked up later. Eren gently turned Levi around, and when the smaller man complied, he traced the wings tattoo spanning his back. Levi's eyes fluttered shut as Eren bent over to purr into his ear.

"Wings. I think that's a fitting safe word for you, Captain."

Levi leaned back against Eren's taller frame as the singer embraced him from behind. He nodded. "Yeah, that works."

He heard his companion swallow, and he turned around to face him again, looking up at him. "You up for this, Eren? I know you suggested it, but it seems like you're the one who's nervous."

"If I don't do it tonight, I might not work up the nerve to do it at all," husked Eren.

He took Levi's hand and they went to the bed together. The agent paused, his brows suddenly pinching with an attack of uncertainty. Levi had no personal experience with this sort of kink. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Should he get on all fours and stick his ass up? Should he remain standing? Maybe he ought to put his hands on the mattress and just bend over it…or was he supposed to lie down on his stomach? Levi looked up at Eren questioningly.

"So how do you want me?"

Eren just stared at him in a dazed manner, his pupils expanding with lust.

"You still with me?" Levi gripped Eren's rising cock and gave it a squeeze. "Levi to Eren."

"I'm still with you," replied the singer, blinking his eyes back into focus. "The way you asked me that was just so hot."

"It was only a question." Levi gave the man's impressive length a little stroke.

"Yeah, but your voice…so sensual." Eren shuddered a little, and he reached down to extract Levi's hand from his shaft. "First off, don't do that right now. I don't want to get too excited and lose my head. I need you to not touch me until I say so, okay Levi?"

"Hmm, aren't we feeling authoritative?" Levi obliged him, feeling heat spread through him with the thrill he was getting out of this. He could appreciate Eren wanting to keep his libido in check while they were doing this, so he offered no further comment on it.

* * *

Levi fell into a doze while Eren hummed softly to him and stroked his body with loving care. Deciding he was relaxed and recovered enough for more, Eren carefully eased the captain's limp body off of his, settling Levi on his stomach. He sat up and he looked down at the man, drinking in the sight of him. Eren traced the wings tattooed on Levi's back, and then he smirked a little as his hands slid lower. Now he could see how dark pink those sweet, tight cheeks were, their blush contrasting charmingly with the pale skin around them that hadn't been spanked. He smoothed his hands over them, whisper soft, and he felt the heat of the blush he'd caused in them. Now it was time for the second part.

In the drawer just by the bed, Eren had already stashed some things he'd found in their toiletry and medical cabinet that would help cool the heat, ease the sting and lessen bruising. Fortunately, Eren could see by his examination that he hadn't let it go far enough to cause any serious bruising. He'd kept his smacks carefully controlled up until the end, and when he knew he was slipping and Levi couldn't take much more, he stopped. That was the biggest trick of it; knowing when enough was enough—especially with a partner that would probably let you keep going until he passed out or suffered real injury.

He procured the bottle of Aloe lotion first and he set that on the bed, and then he got out the cherry flavored lube, just in case. He didn't think Levi would be up for intercourse after this, given there weren't any guaranteed positions that wouldn't chafe his sore ass. The lube was for another idea he had.

Eren squirted some of the lotion into his palm, and he rubbed his hands together, warming it a bit and spreading it. "Levi, are you awake?"

"Mm," mumbled the other man with a sigh.

That wasn't really a definitive answer to his question. Levi sometimes mumbled in his sleep, or carried on half-coherent conversations with Eren when he wasn't really awake and aware. Hoping he wouldn't startle his lover into kicking him, Eren took the precaution of straddling the back of Levi's knees to weigh his legs down before he began to rub the lotion into those cute, reddened butt cheeks.

Levi's head jerked up a little, and he turned it to peer at Eren through the locks of black bangs that had fallen over his eye. "Wha…what're you doing?"

"It's okay," soothed Eren. "I'm just rubbing a little lotion over it to cool it off and take care of your soft, pretty skin."

"Hmph. Okay." Levi let his head drop to the pillow again and he sighed, folding his arms beneath his chin and closing his eyes. "Feels good. Stings a bit, but that stuff's nice."

"Good." Eren smiled, his heart swelling with love for this man. "I hope I wasn't too rough with you, Levi."

"No, you were just rough enough. Damn, I'm still hard as fuck, too."

"Yeah, me too," agreed Eren with a brief smirk down at his own swollen length.

* * *

Levi's face pressed against Eren's shoulder, his grunts and moans filling the singer's ears and mingling with Eren's own exclamations of delight. The agent helped Eren ease his legs off his shoulders, and then he lifted his head and shook his sweat-dampened, raven bangs out of his eyes. Panting harshly with release, Levi licked his lips before speaking in a raw, spent voice.

"You've…outdone yourself, Jaeger. I saw fucking fireworks."

Eren started to grin, his breath wheezing as much as Levi's. "I did too, Captain. Didn't expect it to end with intercourse, but I've got no complaints."

"Hell, I didn't think…I had enough left in me to do that either," admitted Levi. He traced Eren's lips with the tip of his tongue, and then he lowered his forehead to the singer's. "See what you do to me? I'd have been happy just getting off the way you were doing it, but shit…I just _had_ to look back and see those eyes of yours, didn't I? My composure went down the shitter the second time I looked at you."

Eren combed his fingers through Levi's hair, and he ran the tips over the soft undercut in the back. It was growing a bit long. He meant to say something sexy and romantic, but what came out instead was: "Do you need help trimming your hair? We could do it tomorrow if you want."

Levi's head went back up, and he stared down at him. "Huh. Nice evasive maneuver, there."

Eren winced. "I didn't mean to change the subject. I just noticed it's growing a little long and…well…you know my mouth disconnects from my brain sometimes and goes rogue on me." Eren gave him a sheepish look. "Back on the subject: I had to jerk off before we even started, because I was afraid I'd either blow my load or try to pound you through the bottom of the RV if I went into it all worked up."

Levi stared blankly down at him for a minute, and then Eren got the rare privilege of seeing another one of those small, elusive smiles curve his lips. Levi's body quivered a bit, but as usual, the only sounds he made were a couple of huffs.

"Which part are you laughing about?" asked the singer. "The part about my mouth going off, or the part about my uh…preemptive thing in the shower?"

"Both." Levi cleared his throat, and his ghost of a smile faded as he met Eren's gaze again. "I have to admit, I never would have expected you to be into spanking. The Jaeger I used to know was almost sappy, he was so romantic."

"Hey, I'm still romantic," protested Eren. "I just um…have some kinky things mixed in there too, now. Are you _sure_ you're okay with that, Levi?"

"Tch. One last time, and listen well: if I weren't okay with it, I wouldn't have done it. It was fucking hot, kid. I might have initiated that sort of thing with you before, if I didn't think it would freak you out. You were such an innocent back in the day, though, and I'm still getting to know 'rock star' Eren."

"I'll tell you anything you want to know about me, Levi," promised Eren. "I hope you'll do the same."

The captain bobbed his head in acknowledgment. "Sure. Just remember I'm not the world's best at opening up to people. You might have to be patient with me if I start to seem guarded, Eren."

"It's okay. I'm used to you being guarded." Eren sighed and he closed his eyes, feeling a pleasant hum within his body as the afterglow relaxed him. He was sore, but that was a small thing in comparison to the bliss he felt.

Levi eased out of him slowly, and he winced as he rolled onto his side next to Eren, accidentally rolling too far and putting pressure on his reddened left butt cheek. Eren rolled onto his side as well to face the other man, and he reached out to caress his shoulder.

"I'm sorry about the soreness. I should fade in a day. I tried to make sure not to bruise it."

"It's fine." Levi settled into a more comfortable position. "Maybe in the morning you can rub more of that lotion on my ass, after we get cleaned up."

Eren wriggled closer to him and he kissed Levi's nose as he put an arm around him. "You bet. Thanks for indulging me and not making me feel like a freak, Levi."

"Heh, I'd be just as much of a freak as you," came the sleepy answer. "Wasn't it obvious how hot that whole encounter made me?"

Eren grinned. "So you'd do it again?"

Levi shrugged, his eyes drifting shut. "Sure…when we have the leisure time to do it again. I can handle a little asshole soreness from good sex, but if I let you spank my ass like that every night I'm not going to be able to use my ODM gear properly or ride my bike. We've had a brief reprieve, but let's avoid getting carried away and handicapping my ability to protect you, shall we?"

Eren nodded, cuddling even closer to him. "I understand. I wouldn't ask you to do that every night, anyhow. Your butt needs time to recover between spankings or it'll get all chapped."

"Hmph…sounds like you've got more experience with this than you've let on."

Eren chuckled. "It's mostly book experience. Tonight was only the third time I've ever personally done that."

"I see. Well, you certainly seemed pro to me, hot stuff." Levi yawned into Eren's hair. "Now let's get some sleep—especially you. I can usually go on two or three hours in a twenty-four hour period, but you need more than that." He reached out with a grunt to shut off the lamp, pitching the back of the RV into shadow.

"Okay. Goodnight, Levi." Eren stroked his lover's back, and this time he didn't tell him he loved him, because he'd already said so more times than he could count and he didn't feel like it was necessary to tell him again, so soon. He didn't want to keep parroting the words until Levi got annoyed with it, after all.

Eren started to drift off, but then that damned mental image of him spanking himself on the ass while getting Levi off popped up in his head again. He gigglesnorted helplessly, disturbing the mattress as his shoulders shook with mirth.

"What now?" sighed Levi irritably.

"N-nothing," Eren managed, clearing his throat. "Guess I'm just a little giddy."

"Well cut it out," ordered Levi. "We've got to be up and moving first thing in the morning. You can change out these soiled sheets and wash them in the stack unit while I make our breakfast. After that, we're going to have to empty the gray water tank, refill the fresh water tank and get our ass in gear. Even if we start at dawn, we probably won't get on the road until late morning. You need to get some shuteye, brat."

"Yes sir. Sorry."

* * *

The next morning, Levi awoke Eren with a nudge. The singer propped himself up on an elbow and he rubbed his sleepy eyes with his free hand. "What time is it?"

"Half past seven," answered Levi. He was in his robe and his hair was damp. "I let you sleep in—which I shouldn't have. Breakfast is ready, so get your ass up and go eat. I'll change the bedding."

"Levi, I can do that," protested Eren. "You should sit down and rest for a while."

Levi huffed a little. "I can't."

Eren cast a guilty look up at the looming man. "Because your butt's too sore from me spanking you last night?"

"No, because we've got to get shit done and get moving," corrected Levi, "so don't give me that 'kicked dog' look. I'm fine."

He started to sit down on the bed with Eren, and then he gave the slightest twitch of discomfort and a soft hiss. "Okay, my ass is kind of sore. Maybe you should take the first driving shift and we can stop somewhere to find one of those doughnut pillows people use when they need more cushioning."

Eren leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips. "Let me at least rub some of that aloe lotion on it before we get started on all this. Maybe you could soak it in the shower for a bit, once we're ready to get back on the road? I know it's not big enough to be a real bath, but it's deep enough to squat in, right?"

"Something tells me that would be awkward as hell," griped Levi. "I can just see myself losing my balance and going flying through the lavatory door the minute you take a corner I'm not expecting. Ass-up in the middle of the RV isn't my idea of soothing, Jaeger."

Eren choked, and he quickly covered his mouth and looked away. "My imagination's too vivid."

"Doesn't surprise me." Levi pushed aside the crusty bed sheets to get hem out of his way, and he lay down on his stomach. Fortunately the fitted sheet didn't have residue on it like the top sheet did. "Okay Eren, rub my ass, already."

"With pleasure, Captain."

Eren grinned at him and he crawled over to the other side of the bed, where the bottle of lotion had fallen to the floor last night. He retrieved it, and he straddled Levi's legs and lifted the back of his robe up to expose him. He stared down at the man's firm, sweetly rounded little ass, and he swallowed. He could make out traces of his handprints where the flesh was still pink. He traced his fingers over them, a little awed. It was like a love-brand. He'd marked his captain as his own.

"What are you doing?" Levi said in a warning tone. "You're supposed to be putting lotion on it, not drawing fucking pictograms."

"Sorry." Eren popped the cap on the lotion and he squirted some into his palm. Closing the top and setting the item aside, he rubbed his hands together before gently stroking them over the pinkened cheeks. "It doesn't look as red as it did last night. It's just a cute pink shade now, and I don't see any bruising."

"Mmm."

Levi's pleasured hum made Eren smile again. He took perhaps longer than necessary to rub the lotion in, and he had to force himself to pull his hands away and tug the robe back down. Eren sighed as that beautiful ass was again hidden from his view. "How's that? Better?"

Levi got up on his hands and knees, careful not to roll over onto his back to get out of the bed. "Yeah. I'll take some aspirin after breakfast to help it along. Go clean up a little and put something on before the food gets cold, Eren."

"Right."

* * *

A couple of hours later they were on the road again, with a full tank of fuel and a full tank of fresh water. Levi had already reported in with Erwin, and he lay on his side on the couch, watching the news broadcast on the television while Eren drove. The singer was sitting a bit gingerly too as he drove, having earned his own soreness the night before. They were heading south again. There had still been no word from Hange, but Levi insisted that she would get in touch with someone sooner or later, and he cautioned Eren not to worry until more than forty-eight hours had passed without contact from her.

The plan so far was to stop at another campsite somewhere at the end of the day, spend the night there and practice Eren's ODM and combat skills the next day before heading off again. With any luck, they wouldn't run into any trouble and Hange would get in touch before there was good reason for concern.

* * *

-To be continued


	17. Chapter 17

"Damn it! Why won't one of them pick up?"

Hange fumed at the phone in her hand, glaring at it as though it were responsible. It wasn't, of course. She'd bought the new phone just days ago as insurance, and she'd erased all of her newest contact info from her old phone. The organization she was now working with had insisted on getting her contact information, of course. She couldn't do anything about the old contact list regarding Eren and his band without raising suspicion, naturally, but she'd written it all down to be placed in the new phone. Being cautious despite what Levi might think, she kept the new phone well hidden, so that even if her "associates" had her place scoured while she was at work, the chances of them finding the new device were well beyond slim.

Now she was annoyed, though. Two days had come and gone since she'd last spoken to Levi. She'd made very good progress within the BRS and she had some intel to share with her old friend. Sadly, she couldn't risk contacting either Levi or Erwin on her old phone any longer, so any details she wished to share with them had to be saved for the few moments when she was at home and sure nobody was listening in.

"Pick up, you grouchy little pygmy!"

Hange dialed the number again, determined to at least warn Levi of what she'd discovered.

* * *

"Levi, the phone's ringing again." Eren kissed his lover's brow, cuddled up tightly to him. "It looks like the same number from before. Are you sure you shouldn't answer it?"

"Give it to me," groused the darker-haired man with annoyance. "You're going to keep pestering me until I do, I'm sure."

Eren chuckled sheepishly, and he reached for the agent's discarded phone to hand it over to him. "Sorry. I just can't stop worrying about it when it keeps going off like that."

Levi swatted Eren's bare ass lightly, a small penance for the redness bestowed upon his own ass cheeks. "spoiled brat."

Eren just smiled and wriggled closer to him. Fuck, he was so doomed with this guy. Now thoroughly cross due to his helpless affection for Eren and the constant calls from the unknown number, Levi was less than formal as he finally answered it.

"Whoever the fuck you are, I'm about to block you."

"Levi! Oh, good! I was wondering if you were ever going to pick up!"

Levi sat up in the bed, his dark, thin brows furrowing. "Hange?"

"The one and only! Listen, I haven't been able to check in because they've been watching me so closely and I had to get a new phone. I'm pretty sure I can cock-block them completely, but I didn't want to leave anything up to chance and risk a single one of my 'associates' getting their hands on my newest contact information, so the only time I can safely call you or any of our friends is when I'm at home, using this new number. Save it under 'shitty glasses' if you like."

"That would conflict with my previous contact info for you," he informed her, relaxing a bit with a smirk. "I'll save it under 'four-eyes' instead. Nicely handled, Hange."

"You bet!" enthused Hange. "So, I have some new information for you. These idiots have been so impressed with my work that they've bumped me up and let me in on a few more details concerning their interest in Eren. I still don't know just how, but they _are_ aware of his potential coordinate ability and they do indeed plan to make use of it. Not only that, but they have government sanction. Levi, be very careful about how you and Erwin handle this situation. It sounds to me like there could be a split between government factions coming up quickly. Nobody wants a civil war, but it could come to that if tensions run higher than they already are."

Levi glanced sidelong at his stupidly grinning lover. "Got it. We're handling this with kid gloves."

"Is it Hange?" guessed Eren, snuggling closer.

"Yeah, it's her. You can stop worrying. So Hange…"

"Hey, Miss Hange!" Eren called, interrupting Levi's question.

On the other end of the line, Hange chuckled. "Tell Eren I said 'hello'. I imagine you're taking very good care of him, Levi."

"As much as I can," stated Levi evasively.

Hange chuckled. "Ah, young love. You boys are so cute. So anyways, you need to be careful. I'll let you know if there are any new developments, and I'll report to Erwin as soon as I hang up with you. Give Eren my love, darling."

"I will," promised Levi. "Catch you later, Hange. Watch yourself."

He hung up the phone and he set it aside with a sigh, rolling back over to face his attentive, cuddling partner. "She's all right. You can stop worrying now."

Eren sighed against the smaller man's neck, pulling him close for a squeeze. "I guess I've been pretty frantic. Sorry about that."

Levi shrugged. "You love the bitch. I understand."

Eren chuckled, and he squirmed lower to kiss Levi's chest. "You were getting worried too. Admit it."

"I wasn't worried," insisted Levi. "You're dreaming."

"Am not," protested Eren. He kissed Levi's chest again, planting his lips between the pectorals. "You were worried. Damn, you've got a nice chest."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," mumbled Levi. He kissed the crown of Eren's head. "If it will shut you up, I'll admit I was a little concerned about Hange. She's fine, though. No need to keep stirring shit about it."

Eren laughed, and he rolled Levi over onto his back. Straddling him, he grinned down at him with a white smile. "I know I've already said it a dozen times already, but I love you."

"No shit." Levi started to firm up between Eren's thighs, and he squirmed beneath him restlessly as the brunet threaded his fingers with his and pushed his arms over his head. "What, twice wasn't enough for you?"

Eren lowered his smiling mouth to the captain's, and he kissed him slowly, clutching the smaller man's hands tightly to keep him restrained. He rocked his hips enticingly, rubbing his naked cock against Levi's as it firmed up. "It's never enough, for me."

* * *

Hange had to go back to work shortly after her conversation with Levi. She played it cool like always, until she was informed by Dr. Clyde that the founder of their organization would be paying a visit soon to see their progress.

"I'm very excited for you to meet him," Noel told her after she joined him in his office. "I've told him all about your skills, and he's quite impressed. The man is sheer brilliance, Hange. If it weren't for him, we'd have never gotten this far."

"He sounds like quite the machine." Hange grinned. "So who _is_ this fantastic man, if I might ask?"

"His name is Rod Reiss," informed Dr. Clyde, threading his fingers together over the top of his desk. "He used to be head of the research department in the day, back when he was still in the military. He founded the BRS and he keeps an eye on things whenever he can. He doesn't often have the time to personally visit us, so I naturally want everyone on their best behavior."

Hange's smile froze on her face. She somehow managed to retain it, despite the bottom-dropping pit of despair she felt in her gut upon hearing the name of the man behind all of it. Now it made perfect sense, but how the culprit managed to get reborn with his memories intact enough to go after Eren was still a mystery.

"Peachy," managed Hange, still smiling enthusiastically. "I can't wait to meet him. So you've told him about me, eh?"

"Of course," confirmed Noel with a smile. "I couldn't help but brag about how far your efforts have taken us, since you joined our organization. You're moving up the ladder quickly, Dr. Zoë. I may even be able to give you full clearance for the 'titan project' that you've begun working on, soon."

Hange's brain was in a whirl, but it didn't show on her face. "That would be fantastic," she enthused. She made a show of rubbing her forehead. "I'm sorry, but this is a lot to take in! I hate to be a cop-out, but would you mind if I took half a day off? I think I'm a bit overworked."

"Oh, not at all," assured Clyde. "You are by far our most valuable new asset. Please, feel free to take some rest before you meet our founder. I would hate to have you drained after I've been bragging so damned much about you, Hange."

She grinned at him and winked. "Smart man. Not to worry, dear. I'll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when our esteemed guest shows up. I appreciate it."

"Of course." Dr Clyde smiled back at her, and then he perked up. "Oh, and you shouldn't worry about the issue with your GPS tracer. We have the license plate and model of the vehicle that our subject is traveling in, and we have regional authorities at our disposal. While his bodyguard is a man to be reckoned with, we _will_ bag Jaeger soon. We have more resources than you could even guess, Dr. Zoë. I know this has been a subject of some concern for you."

Hange felt her heart slam against her ribcage. "You don't say. Well, that's wonderful!"

Clyde leaned forward, clutching his hands together with some excitement. "I'll even let you in on a little secret. Mr. Jaeger's friends are going to be collected too…as an insurance policy, naturally. We believe the subject may be more controllable if we have his companions in our custody when we begin full testing. Thanks to your information on them, this is a reachable goal. I can't make promises since the UFI has them under guard, but we're working on that. Thank you, Hange."

She gave a mechanical nod. "Of course. Thank _you_ for letting me know. I do have some concerns, though. They are, after all, my patients. You don't plan on harming any of them, do you?"

"No," assured Noel with a shake of his head. "Not at all. I would never take advantage of you that way, and they are merely a means to an end. Your conscience is clear, doctor."

Hange nodded, keeping herself level despite the panic she felt in her breast. "Good to know. I'd be a shitty doctor if I let them come to harm, you understand."

"Of course, and I completely understand your feelings on the matter." Clyde unlocked his hands, and he reached out to clutch on of Hange's. "I'm very sorry to add to your stress. I can relate to any misgivings you may have, but I know you are a woman of science. Is this going to be a problem for you, Hange?"

She damned near told him that yes, it was going to be a problem. Instead, Hange reigned herself in and she bore down on the rage now billowing within her. She smiled at the man, showing teeth. She hoped her facial expression wasn't nearly as aggressive as she felt. "Of course not. I can understand the tactical advantage in it, and I've always been fine with sharing my patient info with you all. Just see to it that those kids aren't mistreated when you nab them, all right? I do have a slight attachment."

"That's understandable," agreed Dr. Clyde. "Believe me, I wish there were another way of managing this. I'll see to it that they are well-treated once we have them in our custody."

"Then that's all I can ask for." Hange felt like she might throw up as she smiled back at the man.

* * *

"Shit, fuck, damn. Shit, fuck, damn! Pick up Armin!"

Hange paced the living room of her small apartment and she chewed her nails as she awaited some form of response from her target. She got his voice mail, and she groaned. "Damn it, kid. All right, fine."

As soon as the automated response beeped, Hange said in no uncertain terms why she was calling. "Armin, it's Hange. You and your buddies need to be triple cautious, okay? I can't explain it in depth right now, but the bad guys are after you too. They may even have agents within the ranks of your protectors, so don't trust _anyone_. I've left the same message with Mikasa, Jean and Connie. Watch yourselves and go somewhere safe. Be careful, my dear."

Having no other choice, Hange ended the call and her cinnamon-brown eyes latched onto the group of tonics she'd left sitting on the counter. She narrowed her gaze. "Hmm."

* * *

"Special delivery, sir."

Erwin looked up from his computer screen as the young man from filing placed the box on his desk. "From whom?"

The younger man shrugged. "Don't know, sir. It just came a moment ago. Do you think I should get the bomb squad on it?

Erwin glanced over at Mike, who was looking at the package with interest. "No. I'm sure it's fine. Thank you."

The deliverer nodded and smiled. "Let me know if you need anything else, Director."

"Of course." Erwin waited until the man left, and he cut open the box. "Penny for your thoughts, Mike?''

Mike sniffed the air. "Smells kind of sweet and sour. It's not a bomb."

Erwin nodded, and he finished opening the box. "Good to know."

He opened up the box, and he stared with perplexity at its content. Mike came up behind him to peer into it as well. "What the fuck?"

Erwin picked up the bottle with the note attached to it, and he shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Tied to a string around the bottle were the words: "Drink me" written in bold. On the other side of that note, there was scratchy handwriting. _"If you really love Levi, you'll do this. Can't explain, Commander. Just do it!"_

Recalling Levi's odd warning regarding accepting anything to drink from Hange, Erwin stared at the suspicious liquid with furrowed brows. "This is lunacy."

"No bullshit," muttered Mike, also staring at the bottle. "What in the hell? Hey, wait a minute, boss…what are you doing?"

Erwin uncorked the bottle and he glanced at his second in command. "Something foolish, most likely. Be ready to call an ambulance if needed."

* * *

It wasn't the best, but Armin couldn't complain. The agency had set them up with a warehouse to practice in, and he smiled as he watched the band go through the song list on their current tour. They wouldn't get the chance to play any of it in front of a live audience due to circumstances, but at least they were keeping up to speed. He nodded along with the music, finding it oddly hollow without Eren's voice leading it. They still sounded great, but without their front man they were lacking.

Reiner opened the door and came in, hollering in Armin's ear. "Hey, there are some dudes outside," warned the muscular roadie, "I don't know what their issue is, but they started some shit with your bodyguards."

"What?" Armin stared at the man like he'd grown two heads, and he reached into his denim jacket. He had a gun hidden in there. He'd started to carry after recent events, and he'd begun taking target practice.

"Might want to cut the practice short," stated Braun somberly, crossing his muscular arms over his chest.

Armin looked at the band, and then he glanced at the door. "Oh, damn."

No sooner did he speak the lament than the door banged open. Armin threw himself to the floor with a yell of warning to his companions, pulling his gun. Everything happened so fast after that. Reiner tackled the first man that came through the door, yelling aggressively. They were all wearing some sort of combat gear as if equipped for a riot. There were shouts calling out from behind the clear masks guarding the interloper's faces, but Armin couldn't make them out.

"Fight," hollered Armin, grappling with the man that had jumped him. "Fight for all you're worth!" To the right of him, he saw Reiner punching the ever-loving shit out of the guy he'd tackled.

"What the shit," blurted Jean, and he wielded his guitar like a club as two of the interlopers came at him. "Hey, fuck off!"

Jean slammed the body of his guitar into the side of the head of one of his attackers, choking as the wood cracked. "I just broke my axe on your big fucking head, asshole!"

Connie stood up with wide eyes, his drumsticks still clutched in his hands. A gun fired, and the drummer stared stupidly at the dart affixed to the wall behind him. "Oh my fucking god… _seriously_?"

He didn't have time to ponder the moment further. One of the invaders came at him, and he reacted instinctively. He dropped his drumsticks, yanked his cymbals off of his set and he slammed them together on either side of his would-be-attacker's head.

"What the hell's going on?" shouted Connie.

Mikasa had already slipped her bass off of its shoulder strap, and she delivered an impressive round-house kick to the head of another attacker. "Focus on bringing them down, Springer! No time to think!"

"Motherfucker," snarled Reiner, tackling another black-clad attacker. "Hey Arlert, you okay?"

Armin answered the question with a point-blank shot to the face of the man he was struggling with. His blue eyes went wide as blood splattered. "Shit. I killed him!"

"Good," growled Mikasa. She snapped the neck of her opponent and she leapt over him, honing in on her next target. "No mercy!"

Armin found himself oddly agreeable with her philosophy. For whatever reason, these people had overpowered their agents and come straight for them. There was no time to think, no time for pity or mercy. He and his band were now fighting for their very lives, and regardless of the past, Armin was thankful that Reiner Braun was on their side.

* * *

"Holy shit."

Hange stared at the scene unfolding before her. They had graciously allowed her to witness the capture mission via satellite, and it was _not_ going as intended. She resisted a snicker as she watched Eren's band make mince meat out of their intended abductors. "Wow, those kids don't play."

Not that she was surprised, really. She'd been so damned worried and she had real concerns that they might get rounded up; especially since none of them answered her frantic attempts to call them. She still had a role to play, though. She had to act like she was supportive, even as she plotted ideas to help them escape should the BRS succeed in kidnapping them. The UFI was more compromised than she'd thought, and that was why she and Dr. Clyde were able to witness this massive failure of a mission to begin with.

"Do…they have military training?" mused Clyde, staring wide-eyed at the computer screen over Hange's shoulder.

She resisted the gigantic smirk that tried to form on her lips, keeping her expression appropriately shocked. "No clue. You wouldn't think so, but…oh my fuck!"

Hange started to laugh in spite of herself when Armin Arlert snatched a fire extinguisher from the wall and billowed the freezing contents right in another attacker's face. "Smart. These kids are smart. Hah!"

Armin quickly followed up by hitting the guy upside the head, and the metallic clanging sound made Hange squirm with delight. "I'm sorry, but I have to admire their spirit," she excused when her companion glanced at her. "Hot damn."

"I suppose so," sighed Dr. Clyde, looking at the screen with an unhappy frown. "This could cause undue complications, though. We didn't anticipate such strong resistance."

Hange shrugged, her brown-red eyes fixated on the screen. Eren's band was decimating their opposition. "Terribly short-sighted of you, but all's fair in love and war."

Clyde looked at her. "I would almost get the impression that you were glad about this turn of events, Dr. Zoë."

She rolled with it, not bothering to fake her enthusiasm. "They were more resourceful than we expected. Why shouldn't I be proud? They've been my patients for some time now, after all."

"I see." Noel Clyde breathed a put-upon sigh as he watched their targets chase the remaining agents straight out the door. "Well, just recall whom you're working for, doctor. Be as proud as you like, but procuring those young people could have been key to our plans. I don't suppose you've got a backup plan of any sort for us, have you?"

"Not at the moment," admitted Hange, still fighting snickers. "This was _your_ operation, my friend. I'm just along for the ride."

* * *

They finished off every last one of them, either rendering them unconscious or in Mikasa's sake, dead. Armin stood horrified with the canister of flame propellant still clutched in his hands. "Is…is that all of them?"

Mikasa emotionlessly snapped the neck of her final opponent, and she nodded at the blond. "It is now."

Armin's head was swimming. Did this really just happen? Had these people _really_ just busted in on their band practice and tried to kidnap all of them? "I think I need to sit down." He swallowed, feeling bile coming up. Armin plopped down on the ass of the man he'd recently knocked out, curling his fingers into his hair and wondering if he was completely losing it.

"Ew, gross," announced Connie in the background. "I totally stabbed this dude in the eye with my drumstick. I'll have nightmares for days!"

"Hey, it's all right," comforted Reiner when Armin shuddered in response to the drummer's announcement. "We're okay, Let's just take a breather."

"I…I'm trying," gasped Armin. He was starting to hyperventilate, and he unconsciously leaned against the muscular blond as Reiner put a concerned arm around him. "Holy shit! That really just happened!"

Mikasa crossed the room calmly, ignoring the disgusted look Jean was giving his now broken guitar. She squatted smoothly before Armin and she slipped her hand beneath his chin to force his gaze up to meet hers. "They initiated this, Armin. We're safe for now, so we should leave while we can. More are bound to show up."

Armin nodded convulsively. "You're right. Of course, you're right. I'm just…trying to wrap my head around it."

Mikasa's expression softened. "They left us no choice. Everyone you faced is still alive, save one."

Armin compressed his lips. "And what about you?"

Mikasa glanced to the side, her deep gray eyes flicking to the corpse of her last confrontation. "I wasn't so merciful."

"Christ," swore Armin. He shot a look at Jean, who was still seemingly more upset about the state of his instrument than the person he'd taken down with it. "Would you please _focus_? Murdering people isn't very good for the band's image, you know."

"Who gives a fuck about PR right now?" Jean demanded, finally taking his eyes off his guitar to glance around at the devastation in their wake. "Shit, Armin! These people busted in here even though we had special agents guarding us! We're lucky to still be standing!"

Armin breathed a deep sigh, comforted in spite of himself by Reiner's support. "I realize that. I'm just a bit startled, okay?"

"Deep breathes," reminded Reiner softly. He looked up at the band members. "Maybe it's not my place to say so, but if it were up to me, we'd all get the fuck out of here right about now."

Mikasa stood over one of their vanquished foes with a fierce expression on her lovely features, and she glanced up with a brief nod of acknowledgement. "Agreed."

"Wait," Connie begged, holding his hands out. "If they came after _us_ , then they could go after Sasha, too!"

"Sasha has no relation to us or Eren," Jean pointed out. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"How do you know that?" demanded the drummer with a frown. "We don't know exactly why they came after us!"

"What are you implying?" pressed Armin, pulling away from Reiner. "What reason do you think they'd have to go after Sasha? Like Jean said: she's not involved in an of this yet."

"It's just a feeling I've got, okay?" Connie pressed a hand against his stomach as if fighting nausea. "I just don't feel safe to leave her and hope for the best. I know they've got no good reason to go after her too, but are we seriously going to take that chance?"

The others looked at one another grimly, their resolve wavering under Connie's reasoning.

* * *

He was back. Sasha gave the first genuine smile she'd had in days as she watched the booth that her cute little shaved guy was sitting at. He seemed so nervous that he was practically bouncing in place, running a palm over the tattooed, close-shaven skull as he peered around with wide, hazel eyes. Another waitress had evidently already beaten her to the punch, and Sasha's eyes widened with horror as she witnessed Connie absently start to scoop up a spoonful of the pie slice he'd been given.

"What in the fuck?" Sasha snapped at her fellow waitress as the blonde came back with an empty drink tray. "Cindy, why did you _give_ him that?" She pointed at the young man in question.

The other waitress shrugged. "Because he asked for it? I serve food, remember?"

Sasha winced. "Oh my gawd, he can't eat that!"

She was off in a rush before her coworker could utter another word in her defense. Sasha hurried over to Connie's booth and she snatched up the plate of pie before he could finish lifting the spoon to his mouth. He stared dumbly up at her with the spoon halfway to his lips.

"Sasha? Hey look, I need to—"

"Don't eat that!" She held the small plate away from him and she covered its contents with one hand, unable to feign the horrified look on her face. "Don't you remember me telling you the last time that the pie here is no good?"

"Well…how old can it be?" He muttered, dumbfounded.

Sasha grimaced. "The apple pie is at least a month old. Sorry to grab it from you like that, but I really couldn't stand the thought of you eating it. We…have fresh pudding. Would you like me to bring you a bowl?"

Connie looked out the window, and he compressed his lips. "I don't have time for food at all, to be honest with you. I came here for you."

Her face warmed, and she was sure she'd heard him wrong. "For me? Really? Why?"

His gaze flicked nervously between her and the window. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I tried to tell you. Hey, could we like…go outside and talk a minute?"

Startled by the request, Sasha bit her lip and glanced around. "I suppose I could take a quick break. I'm due for one. What's this about, sir?"

Connie snorted, and he shook his head. "Please don't call me 'sir', for starters. I just need to talk to you."

She tilted her head. Unlike some others, Sasha had no reason to fangirl over him. She'd heard from one of her coworkers that the young man was a drummer in a popular rock band, but she wasn't interested in that sort of music. To her, Connie Springer was just a friendly, cute customer that made his way into her café from time to time. She was grateful to see him again for certain, but she understood none of what he was saying. The seriousness in his eyes gave her hesitation.

"Can I ask what this is all about?"

"I'll explain it as best as I can," he assured her. "It's complicated."

Against her better judgment, Sasha took an early break and she followed Connie outside. Her mother probably would have warned her not to go with some strange man into the alleyway, but for some reason, she felt like she could trust him. There was a familiar warmth about him; not just _him_ specifically, but his friends that he had first shown up with, as well. She had no words to describe it.

"Okay, what is this about?" Sasha came close to calling him "short stuff", but she restrained herself.

Connie looked around as if checking for observation. "This is gonna sound really crazy, but just bear with me. Someone may be after you."

She quirked a brow, and she folded her arms over her chest. Plenty of men had tried to pick up on her before, but this was a new one. "Very funny. I suppose you're going to tell me you're some kind of secret agent and you've appointed yourself my protector? Jeez, if you want to ask me out on a date, just say so. I might not turn you down."

"N-no, that's not what I'm trying to do," he stammered, flushing. "Sasha look, I know it sounds crazy, but I'm totally serious. You could be in real danger! I…you…well, we knew each other once, and…and now there are these creeps that are after all of us, and you could be on their list!"

She stared at him with wide brown eyes, and she backed up a step. Maybe her instincts were lying to her and this boy was more dangerous than he appeared. "Okay…"

"Aw, please don't look at me like that!" Connie looked pained. "I wouldn't be here right now if I weren't legitimately worried. I'm not a flake!"

Sasha was inclined to humor him, suddenly very aware of their location and the fact that they were both out of public view. "Sure. Okay. Just…calm down."

"I _can't_ calm down," Connie blurted, eyes flicking to the right and left again. "I fucking stabbed a dude in the eye with my drumstick earlier today because him and his goon pals busted in on our band practice! These people mean business, and they could come after you too!"

Sasha's eyes bugged out. "Um, wow. That sounds uh…really unfortunate. Hey, you aren't on something are you? You're looking kind of—"

"Oh shit!" Connie cut her off as a black sedan came to a halt at the other end of the alleyway, and the passenger and back doors opened. "Shit! Come on!"

Sasha choked on her protest as he grabbed her hand and all but yanked her along with him, heading in the opposite direction from the three men that came out of the car. She heard tires screeching up ahead, and a blue hatchback squealed to a halt before they reached the end of the alley. She vaguely recognized the blond guy that had been in Connie's company from the other day and had a breakdown. He was at the wheel and he gestured hurriedly to the drummer.

"Get in! They're right behind us!"

"They're in the alley too," exclaimed Connie as the back door sprung open. Sasha stared at the tall guy with dirty blond hair that she recognized from the other day. He was waving anxiously from the back seat at them.

"Get your asses in here and let's go," called the guy. Jean…that was his name. Sitting beside him was a muscular man with white-blond hair, also strangely familiar to her.

Sasha yelled in shock as Connie shoved her rudely into the back seat and then piled in behind her. She practically face-planted in Jean's lap, and then they were off. Armin burned rubber and she vaguely heard the sound of something clanking against the vehicle, followed by the engine of another car.

"What in the hell? Let me go!" Terrified and under the belief that she was being kidnapped, she started to kick and flail at the three men occupying the back of the car.

"Ow! Calm down," protested Connie. "We're not gonna hurt you, Sasha! We aren't the bad guys!"

"Why else would you shove me into a car and drive off?" She demanded. Her knee struck Connie's midsection and she clocked Jean in the jaw good and proper. She drove her elbow into the big blond's eye, making him shout in protest. Sasha dove for the nearest door and she shoved it open. "Heeellp! I'm being kidnapped!" She screamed at people they passed on the sidewalk as she struggled to get over Jean's lap, intending to leap from the vehicle.

Mikasa was in the passenger seat, and she looked over her shoulder at the struggling waitress with maddening calm, pausing in her conversation on the phone. "No, you're being protected. If we hadn't come and gotten you, then you really _might_ have been kidnapped. Calm down."

She addressed whomever she was speaking with on the phone. "Yes, Director. They overpowered the agents assigned to protect us. That screaming you hear is from Sasha. No, we aren't hurting her…yet."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Sasha, half hysterical. She started to ram Connie in the throat with her elbow, but she stopped just short as his eyes met hers. She saw genuine…love? She glanced through the back window and she saw a van following them, as well as the black sedan from the alleyway.

"I'm just trying to protect you," Connie wheezed, his voice half-choked by the pressure against his windpipe.

Sasha backed off, and she flicked her eyes to Jean. The tall guitarist nodded grimly, rubbing his jaw. "No bullshit, Sasha. We're on your side."

She parted her lips, searching for a response even as she felt a crazy urge to trust them all. Armin's horrified exclamation cut through her thoughts before she could speak, however.

"Oh my god, I just ran a red light!"

"I don't think traffic rules are what we ought to be worrying about," barked the big blond guy next to Jean. "Just shake 'em, Arlert!"

"Right," agreed Armin, sweat beading his brow. "Sorry, you're right! Hang on, everyone!"

"I _knew_ I should have drove," groused Jean.

* * *

Erwin hung up the phone, and he stared straight at the wall as Mike looked on with a worried expression. "Uh, you okay boss? That bottle you drank isn't fucking with your head, is it?"

The director shook his head slowly, and he looked up at his second-in-command. "Our entire operation has been horribly compromised. That was Miss Ackerman that I just spoke with. The band's security has been breached, and there was an abduction attempt made against them while they were practicing their music."

Mike sank down on one of the seats on the other side of Erwin's desk, and he dragged his fingers through his hair. "No shit? Well obviously, the attempt must have failed, right? Otherwise she wouldn't have been able to call you."

"Correct." Erwin frowned, and he clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them as he braced his elbows on the desk. "We apparently can't even protect our own clients. I want Mr. Jaeger's mother brought in. If the enemy was bold enough to attack his band whilst under guard, I don't want to take chances. Give her a witness protection suite and see to it that she's kept under tight security, twenty-four seven."

Mike nodded. "Sir." He paused as he got up to act upon Erwin's orders. "You okay?"

Erwin nodded. "Fine. I'm just a bit confused as to how those kids managed to fight off trained enemy personnel when our agents failed to do so. I'm going to try and contact the agents in question myself, but it sounds as though they were killed in action. I need to contact Levi, as well. He needs to know how high the stakes have gone."

"Good call." Mike still regarded him searchingly. "So has that juice done anything? You feeling any side-effects yet?"

Erwin shook his head. "Nothing so far."

"Hmph. I still can't believe you'd drink a bottle of mystery shit from some lady we don't even know."

Erwin looked up at his tall, built companion. "I'm a bit surprised by my own actions, I admit. Still, are you so certain we don't know her, Mike?"

The bigger man's brows furrowed, and he hesitated. "You're starting to creep me out a little, chief."

* * *

-To be continued


	18. Chapter 18

Levi listened to Erwin's retelling of Hange's account of the recent situation, and he glanced over at his dozing lover with a frown. Eren had his back turned to him and his leather jacket was draped over his upper body. He'd stuffed one of the pillows from the bed against the passenger side window, and it was a wonder he wasn't smothering himself, sleeping with his face pressed into it like that.

"They're okay?" Levi asked softly, taking his gaze off Eren to focus on the road. He narrowed his eyes against the lights of a car coming from the opposite direction. He really hated driving at night, but his hackles had been raised all day long. Now he knew why, and he was glad for his decision not to stop somewhere overnight.

"They're fine," assured the director. "I'm sure Hange would have contacted you directly herself, if she'd had the opportunity. It seems she's in deeper than we imagined she could be."

Levi shrugged. Leave it to Hange to get her ass so deep in the fire that she couldn't hop out immediately. "She talked to me earlier. Must have been before the shit hit the fan. She'll be fine, I'm sure."

"I believe that," answered Erwin. "She's…quite resourceful. On that note, she managed to have a special package delivered to me today."

Levi's pupils dilated, and a terrible feeling washed through him. "Tell me it wasn't in the form of a drink, sir."

"Actually…" Erwin paused, and he went silent for a good, long moment. "Shit."

"What?" Levi tensed, sitting up straighter in his seat. "Erwin, you didn't."

"Dear God," answered the other man in a tight voice. "Levi…"

Biting back a groan, Levi took the next exit and he pulled off of the highway. "What the hell did you do, boss? Did you drink it, despite my warning?"

"I…I'm afraid I did," confirmed Erwin breathlessly, "and I just regained a memory. Christ, Levi, I'm so terribly sorry."

Levi clenched his jaw, guessing exactly _which_ memory his former lover must have just gotten back. "Shit. Shit! Of all the fucking things for you to recall…Erwin, there was a good goddamned _reason_ why I told you not to do that! That fucking crazed bitch, I _told_ her not to mess with you!"

Erwin sounded as devastated and stunned as Levi felt. "No. Don't say that. A part of me knew, Levi. I've known for some time now, though I had no recollection of the details. I had a feeling, and you were nearly frantic about it when you warned me. It was so out of character for you. I knew that something wasn't quite right, and when that bottle arrived for me, I—"

"You fucking did it anyway, you titanic moron." Levi pulled into the rest stop, and he tried to collect his suddenly spiked emotions. "I warned Eren and I warned you, but both of you bastards fucking ignored me. So what is it, am I talking to myself, here? Does everything I say just go in one ear and out the other?"

"Muuhh?" Eren rolled over, pulling his face out of the pillow. Without opening his eyes, he mumbled questioningly to Levi and he reached across the distance to pat his knee. "Everything okay?"

Levi swallowed hard, and he rested his hand over the larger one settled on his knee. "It's fine, Jaeger. Go back to sleep."

"Levi," said Erwin tensely on the other line, "I didn't do it to disrespect you. I had to know. You refused to tell me when I asked what I did to you. Call it a gamble if you will, but my desire to understand won out over my inhibitions."

"You're an idiot," snapped Levi in a hiss. "This is going to fuck you up, chief. You're going to be remembering things that…that…" He swallowed again. He didn't want Erwin to re-live all of that. The things that man had done for the sake of humanity, the sacrifices he'd made, the tragedy of their relationship…no. As much as he'd clung to his resentment of Erwin, Levi didn't want him to be punished that way. He still respected Erwin Smith with every fiber of his being, and just hearing that guilt in his voice tore at him in ways he wasn't prepared for.

"Perhaps I'm an idiot, and perhaps it will 'fuck me up'," Erwin stated calmly, though his deep voice was faintly husky. "But why should I be exempt from penance, Levi?"

Levi closed his eyes briefly, and he tilted his head back. "Because you're the commander," he said hollowly, tasting the bitter helplessness of his response even as he said it. "You've given up enough. Damn it, Erwin."

He could practically hear the rueful smirk on Erwin's lips as the older man responded to that. "Even now, you try to protect me. Thank you, Levi. I truly don't deserve to even associate with you."

"No kidding," snorted Levi, trying to cover up the angst he was feeling. "You big, dumb shit-face. Why don't you ever _listen_ to me?"

Erwin chuckled tensely. "If I never listened to you, we wouldn't be where we are now. You are still my most trusted soldier, Levi. That hasn't changed, and I doubt that it ever will."

"Stop it," muttered Levi, his throat closing up. "Just shut it, okay? You…you're making me feel sentimental."

"My apologies." Erwin sounded as miserable as Levi felt. "I presume you know which memory I've just regained. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, Levi, but I need you to know how much I regret my mistreatment of you."

Levi sighed. "Yeah, I know. You proved that before you even drank shitty-glasses' potion. It's going to get worse though, boss. That was just _one_ bad memory. You've got a lot more coming to you."

"I'm sure I do," answered Erwin solemnly. "I'm prepared to deal with them. Do you think I'm too weak to handle it?"

"Tch." Levi's lips thinned. "Never said I thought you were 'weak'. I'm just thinking of something you told me once."

"Which was?" pressed Erwin gently.

Levi sighed. "You once told me that making hard decisions wasn't the real challenge. It's _living_ with those decisions that's so hard. I don't want…Erwin, you've earned a reprieve. The thought of you re-living all of that…shit."

Erwin's voice was almost tender as he responded to the lament. "It's all right, Levi. To know that you are so concerned with my well-being is a gift to me, truly. Thank you. I promise you that I will get through it. Concentrate on keeping Eren safe and…please enjoy your moments with him. I feel confident that he treats you much better than I ever did."

Levi glanced over at Eren, and he nearly smiled at the endearing picture the singer made, with his hair mussed up and his arms squeezing the pillow he'd rolled over with. "Well, you aren't wrong about that. I won't rub it in, though."

"You have my gratitude for that," said Erwin dryly. "I should probably let you go and get myself to bed. Please be safe, Agent Ackerman."

"You too." Levi resisted another sigh. "Good luck, Smith. Hope I don't end up visiting you in an insane asylum next time we see each other."

Erwin chuckled softly. "I rather doubt it will come to that. Have some faith. Goodnight, Levi."

* * *

Levi hung up the phone, and he sat there staring at the steering wheel beneath his hands for several moments. He got distracted by a thump as Eren rolled right out of the passenger seat, and he stared down at him when the younger man crawled and stretched over the hump between the two seats to lay his head in Levi's lap.

"What're you doing, brat?" whispered Levi, stroking the soft, thick brown hair.

"You're sad," mumbled Eren, still obviously in a sleepy stupor. He rubbed his cheek against Levi's thigh, and he sighed, his fingers flexing absently against his crotch. "Don't be sad."

Levi stared down at the shadowed form of his lover, his lips parting blankly. He couldn't think of a thing to say. The moonlight slashed down through the window to highlight Eren's attractive profile, and Levi traced his brow with his fingertips. He gulped unconsciously, feeling those unwanted emotions rising to the surface again. Adorable little fucker. He pained Levi in ways that were completely opposite from the way Erwin did.

"You make me less sad," whispered Levi awkwardly. "I just suck at telling you so."

Eren smiled against his thigh, and he nuzzled his crotch impulsively. "Never want you to be sad, Captain."

"You pitiful little mutt." Levi smirked in spite of himself, combing his fingers through the other man's hair. He really was like a loveable puppy at times.

"But I'm _your_ mutt," yawned Eren.

"Yeah, you are," agreed Levi. "Hey, stop sniffing my crotch, freak."

"Smells good," excused Eren.

Levi rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Okay, so what I'm getting from this is that there's some sort of government agency after you and your band," Sasha reasoned carefully when she and her companions stopped at a beaten-down motel for the night, "because they want your lead singer?"

"Wow, that sounded a lot better before we said it out loud," Jean mused, scratching his chin. "I think you're taking this a lot better than most people would, but yeah, that's the deal."

"I know it's difficult to believe," Mikasa said to her, kneeling before her. "Nobody in their right mind would trust such an excuse, in fact. Just ask yourself this, however: do you or do you not feel a connection with us?"

"I…well, I…" Sasha's gaze flicked between all of them, and then finally settled on Connie. She parted her lips to respond, but Reiner then spoke up.

"Did you all drop some acid while I wasn't looking?"

All eyes turned to the man, and he shrugged his broad shoulders, leaning back against the locked door. "Just asking. This whole conversation is fucked up, from my perspective."

Armin grimaced. "I imagine that it is. I keep forgetting that you don't have your memories like we do." He sighed and he looked at his other companions and Sasha. "Please excuse me. I don't feel very well."

Sasha watched Armin go into the bathroom with some concern, and she looked at Connie. "Is there anything you can offer me as proof? Anything at all?"

Connie grimaced. "Aside from those assholes showing up outside your café and going after us? No, not really. The only other thing I can say is to trust your gut instincts. They were always your greatest asset, Sasha. What do they tell you now?"

She sighed. "They're telling me I'd better not try to go home or back to work anytime soon. I'm so confused, though. Why would they be after me, of all people, or even you?. You told me they're a government research organization. What do they want with a rock band?"

Connie exchanged looks with Mikasa and Jean, and then he glanced at Reiner. "Stop looking at us all like we're wacked out of our minds," he warned the blond. "You were right there when they busted in on us during practice, so you know we aren't making this up."

Reiner shrugged. "I didn't say you were making up the kidnapping attempt, Springer. That part I believe. What's this shit about memories and past lives, though?"

Jean rubbed his forehead. "I don't think there's any version of an explanation we could give you that would sound believable, big guy. It gives me a headache just thinking about where to begin."

"Let's just give the abridged version," Mikasa suggested.

"Okay, sure." Jean spread his hands. "Basically all of us were part of a special military squad a few hundred years ago. We fought titans together under Commander Erwin Smith and Captain Levi's command. Our doctor was part of the squad too. She was a squad commander."

Reiner's frown deepened, and he looked to Mikasa. "Is he kidding, or what?"

"He isn't. In fact, you and Eren were both able to transform into titans yourself."

"Wait, wait," begged Sasha with wide eyes, making a "time out" gesture with her hands. "Titans? As in giant cannibals from mythology?"

"They weren't myths," explained Mikasa.

Sasha bore a look of horrified dawning on her face, and a shiver went through her. She hugged herself, staring down at the floor. "I've had nightmares about them before," she whispered, "reoccurring ones about them eating people. I thought maybe it was because of hearing stories about them as a kid, but…the dreams are so vivid! I always wake up in a cold sweat, scared out of my mind."

Reiner also looked suspiciously pale. "No way." He shook his head. "It isn't possible."

Mikasa met his gaze evenly. "It is. We aren't making it up, Reiner."

The toilet flushed and Armin came back out, wiping his mouth with a damp washcloth. "The titans were real," he said, overhearing what they were saying. "Moreover, Reiner, you happened to betray us. You were sent to the walls by your village, along with Bertolt Hoover and Annie Leonhart. You were given a mission to find the shifter with the coordinate ability, and that happened to be Eren. All three of you attempted to abduct him more than once."

Reiner stared at the other blond, slowly shaking his head. "That's some crazy bullshit. I know you've got a big imagination, but you can't seriously expect me to buy this."

"Whether you 'buy it' or not, it's the truth," stated Connie. He looked at Sasha's wide-eyed face almost pleadingly. "Seriously, we couldn't make this shit up if we tried. I can't make you believe us just by begging you, but you've already seen that we weren't kidding about those people coming after us. What would we have to gain by blowing smoke up your ass?"

"Okay," breathed Sasha. "Let's say I believe it's possible. You all do feel very familiar to me, and those nightmares I've had all my life are hard to ignore. How come all of you remember everything, when me and this guy here don't? I mean, shouldn't we _all_ have these memories?"

"Actually, the only reason any of us except Mikasa recall any of this is due to Hange Zoë," clarified Armin. "She was researching a new treatment for Alzheimer's and she ended up discovering a formula that allows past life recollection. She gave each of us a bottle of it. Mikasa and Levi are the only two from our pasts that we know of who retained their memories without the help of the tonic."

"Are you even _listening_ to yourself?" Reiner demanded. "Tell me this: if I could turn into a titan and so could Jaeger, wouldn't we have just tried to eat you guys? Titans supposedly ate people, right?"

"Shifters weren't the same as regular titans," answered the band manager readily. "For one thing, you all retained your intellect when you changed forms. Essentially, you were 'driving' your titan bodies. There were two different kinds of titans, too: normals and abnormals, or deviants, as we sometimes called them. Deviants were so named because their behavior didn't fit the normal—"

"Okay, okay," interrupted Reiner, breaking into a sweat. "I'm starting to think you guys aren't making this shit up, after all. Either that, or someone slipped me something when we were at the warehouse and I'm dreaming all of this."

Armin met his gaze levelly. "Do you honestly think any of us would make up something like this, especially at a time like now? When would we have had the time to fabricate such a thing, especially after everything that's happened? People are trying to kidnap us, and Eren. Making up an elaborate story like this just to mess with your head is the last thing any of us are going to prioritize."

"Maybe I'm losing my mind, but I believe you," Sasha told them softly. "But…what are we supposed to do? If those people that came after you are with the government, then they probably have all _sorts_ of ways of tracking us, no matter where we try to run."

"Yeah, no joke," agreed Connie.

"We need to leave town as soon as possible," decided Armin, "or at least go to UFI headquarters for protection. Commander…uh, Director Erwin knows our situation, right Mikasa?"

She nodded. "Yes. The conversation was rushed, but he seemed to agree that getting a motel for the night somewhere out of the way was a good plan for now. I'm sure the agency will be expecting us."

"We should call Eren," suggested Connie. "He's going to flip if he hears about this from someone else."

"Levi most likely already knows by now," predicted Armin, "and if anyone can break worrisome news to Eren without getting him overly upset, it's the Captain. I don't think we should even try traveling on our own tomorrow, to be honest. I would rather contact Erwin or Levi and have them arrange for someone trustworthy to come and pick us up."

"Maybe we'd be best off going to Trost," suggested Jean, "since that's where Commander Erwin and Captain Levi are based out of. I'd trust them and their teams before I'd trust anyone else from the Tarsus Valley branch."

"This is fucking insane," muttered Reiner.

Jean glared at him. "Know what, meathead? I don't give a damn _how_ crazy you think it is. You can piss off somewhere else and take your chances if you want. They probably don't even give a shit about you."

"If I was your enemy in another life and you guys remember it, then why the hell haven't I been fired?" challenged Reiner.

"Because for one thing, we didn't know about that when we hired you," Armin pointed out, "and for another, it was a different lifetime."

"And I wanted to keep an eye on you myself," Mikasa added in a low, cool voice. "It seems Hange is of a similar mind to me. She has Annie as one of her employees."

"Can't believe you never said anything," Jean grumbled accusingly. "Why didn't you speak up when this guy first applied for the job, Mika?"

"And what would you have me say?" she pressed. " _'No, we can't hire him because in a different life he could transform into a titan and he tried to abduct our singer'_? You have no _idea_ how hard it's been for me to keep my knowledge of our past to myself, Jean. Don't start with me."

"Okay, let's not fight," sighed Armin. "We need to make some calls and plan out what we're going to do next, okay? Reiner, whether you believe us about the past life or not, I really think you should come with us. They came after us in the first place to get to Eren, I'm sure of it. That means you're at risk too. They probably know your identity, and I'm sure they know you've been working for us for a while. That means they'll have an interest in you, and that is an indisputable fact."

Reiner sighed. "Shit. Of all the bands I could have gotten this gig with, I had to pick you guys."

Armin shrugged. "I'm sorry. None of us planned for this to happen."

"Oh shit," Jean said when he thought to pull out his phone and go through his contact list. "Guys, Hange left me a voice message. Check your phones too. Sounds like she tried to warn us they were plotting to come for us."

They all checked their phones, and Armin groaned after listening to the message left for him. "It's a bit late now. She must have tried ringing us during practice. I didn't even think to check my messages during all the excitement."

Sasha automatically started to reach for her phone. "Wait, what am I doing? I don't even know this Hange person."

Connie smiled at her. "Yeah you do. You just don't remember."

* * *

Eren wasn't prepared to hear the news of his band narrowly escaping a kidnapping attempt. Levi informed him as soon as he woke from his nap, and the singer stared at his lover in shock after getting back into the passenger seat and hearing his account of what he'd been told. "Oh my god, are they okay? Why haven't any of them _called_ me?"

Eren dug out his phone, and Levi reached over and squeezed his shoulder briefly to comfort him. "Calm down. Your friends are fine. They all made it safely out and according to Erwin, they picked up Sasha Blouse before hauling ass out of city limits. Sounds like the BRS didn't know just who they were cornering when they went after those brats and they got their asses handed to them."

Eren sighed in relief, briefly shutting his eyes. "It's probably a good thing they got their memories back, then. They might not have been able to handle themselves without their old training to fall back on." He found a couple of texts from Armin and one from Mikasa. "Looks like they _have_ tried to contact me. I must have been pretty out of it."

"You were sleeping hard," excused Levi. "Don't worry, Jaeger. I'm sure the agency will arrange further protection for them. By the way, Erwin just texted me a little while ago to let me know that he's going to have them bring your mother into Tarsus Valley headquarters to have her under direct agency supervision. She'll be given a witness protection suite like the one you stayed in that day we dropped by there."

Eren took a slow breath, and he nodded. "Thanks." He checked the time and he grimaced. It was nearly three in the morning. "It's way too late for me to call her now. I'll try her when the sun comes up. Do you want to switch places and try to get a little rest, Captain?"

Levi checked their fuel gauge, and he compressed his lips. "I'll keep the wheel until sunrise. There's something else you need to know, Eren. Hange left another message with me. Not only have the clowns she's infiltrating decided to try and bring your band in, but they told her that they have the description and license plate of our vehicle. Unless they were bulshitting with her to test her, they've got people in the ranks of regular law enforcement and the highway patrol. They're probably tapped into the satellite that most GPS systems use to navigate too, which means they're monitoring all of the major highways and interstates."

Dismayed, Eren frowned, fully awake now. "That's not good."

"No, it's not," agreed Levi, "so we're going to have to pull some strings and get a new license plate. I've decided to take a detour to Trost and go straight to my base headquarters to take care of that. We aren't going to stay for long. I don't want to keep you there longer than absolutely necessary, since Trost is apparently where their main research facility is based."

"I don't want to stay there for long in that case either." Eren burrowed deeper into his jacket for warmth, shivering a little at the memory of his first night in Trost and the kidnapping attempt. "I almost wish I still had my titan powers."

Levi glanced at him, his expression calm and difficult to read. "Well, they seem to think you've at least still got the coordinate. Maybe you should try using it. Could be useful if you could figure out how."

"But I don't even know for sure how I used it in the past. I only managed to make it work a few times, remember?"

Levi nodded. "I remember. It's still worth a try, Eren…unless it starts making your nose gush the way your abilities used to when you overdid it."

"Ugh, that was some terrible shit," grunted Eren. "How many handkerchiefs of yours did I go through, anyway?"

"Probably enough to fill a bathtub, at least." Levi considered him again, dividing his attention between the road and Eren. "So you've never noticed anything strange? Never had any experiences in this life with people doing things you want them to do, even if you didn't say anything to them?"

"No sir. If I could make people do what I want just by thinking it, I'd have gotten out of a lot of tests in school and I'd have never gotten grounded by my parents." Eren smirked at his own joke. "Even back in the previous life when I knew I had the ability, I never worked out exactly how to activate it at will. It was like pushing buttons at random."

"Hmm. Well, maybe your ability to use it depends on your having titan cells in you, and Hange said she didn't find any in you when she checked." Levi frowned. "Maybe the BRS thinks they can trigger it somehow and use you as a living weapon. Maybe they think they can duplicate it. Who knows?"

"I don't even want to think about it." Eren got up, and he leaned over to kiss Levi on the cheek. "Are you hungry? I'm thinking of getting a snack."

Levi shrugged. "Bring me one of those bananas from the fridge, I guess."

"You got it."

Eren left the front of the RV and he stumbled a little as he felt around for the light panel on the wall. He grabbed a can of mixed nuts for himself from the cabinet in the kitchenette, and then he got the requested fruit from the icebox. Flipping the light back off as he returned to the front of the vehicle so that it wouldn't interfere with Levi's night vision, he peeled the banana for his lover before handing it to him.

"Thanks." Levi's mouth slid down over the banana, and Eren found himself staring. The captain glanced at him sidelong as he took a bite, chewed and swallowed. "What?"

Eren blushed. "Seeing you eat that just reminds me of how good you are with your mouth," he blurted.

Levi snorted, glancing at the piece of fruit with a subtle expression of awareness. "Oh yeah? Well, it's about the size of your dick. Giving you ideas, is it?"

Eren's throat worked as he swallowed, unable to tear his eyes off Levi as the agent slowly ran his tongue over the length of his snack. "That's really not fair, Levi."

"What isn't fair?" asked Levi in a casual tone. There was a teasing flash in his eyes as he glanced at the singer briefly, before running his tongue over the banana again. "I'm just eating, Jaeger." He slid the vaguely phallus-shaped fruit into his mouth and he hummed a little as he took another bite.

"Shit." Eren squirmed in his seat as his pants started to feel too tight. "You know exactly what you're doing, Captain."

"Mm-hmm. Eating," insisted Levi after swallowing his recent bite. "You'd think you've never seen a guy enjoying a banana before, the way you're staring."

"You're not just eating," husked Eren with certainty. "You're flirting."

"Heh. Now you've got a food fetish, too? First with the spanking and now this? What next, Eren? You gonna try to get me into a naughty maid outfit or something?"

"You don't need one," breathed Eren. "You could just get away with wearing those dust scarves of yours to get me hot."

"Is that so?" Levi's lips slid over the banana again, distracting Eren further.

"How did we go from talking about the situation with the BRS to you deep-throating a banana?" wondered Eren aloud.

The other man emitted a subtly amused sound in his throat, and he withdrew the banana from his mouth a bit to have another bite. "Too easy," he announced after swallowing. He glanced down at Eren's lap. "Nice tent your pitching there, you little pervert."

"It's not my fault," whined Eren. "I can't help it that my boyfriend's so fucking sexy."

"So now I can't even eat without getting you stirred up?" Levi smirked at him knowingly.

"Not when you do it like that," Eren reasoned. "Tease."

"Oi, at least it took your mind off things for a bit." Levi narrowed his eyes at the next sign. "We'll stop soon and refuel. We're only about twelve hours from Trost now. Let's just hope we don't run into any opposition before we can switch out the license plate."

Eren sighed, wishing that Levi hadn't brought that up again. He'd had him so nicely distracted with his erotic show of eating, too.

"Hey Eren," Levi said when he finished his banana and dropped the peel into their designated trash bag hanging from the console, "it's going to be all right. Don't stress over it needlessly, all right?"

"I'm trying not to." Eren opened the can of nuts, and he scooped some out to toss them into his mouth. "I just wish this was all over with."

Levi briefly took his eyes off the road to look at him, and then he leaned over, reaching straight into Eren's lap.

"Whoa," yelped the singer when his lover groped him. He wasn't expecting that. "Erm…that's abrupt."

"Got a problem with it?" challenged Levi. "You could use the distraction, Jaeger."

"I…well, okay, but um…can you drive okay like this?" Eren's breath caught as his fly was tugged down.

"Looks like it," answered Levi. "Relax for me, Eren. I can multitask."

Eren tilted his head back, and he reached down to lay his hand over the one busily working his pants open. He definitely had no objections to how the captain was choosing to distract him.

* * *

Some time later, Levi was feeling quite smug with himself after finishing Eren off. He smirked quietly at his lover's ragged breathing, and he rubbed his knee as Eren wiped himself off with a couple of tissues from the box in the overhead compartment.

"You are," gasped Eren, "completely amazing. That was really great, Levi. Still can't believe you did it."

The agent shrugged, squirming a little himself due to his body's response to doing that to Eren. "Feel better now?"

"Hell yeah," sighed Eren. He disposed of the tissues and he did his pants back up. His gaze flicked to Levi's lap and frowned a little. "It's not really fair to you, though. I should—"

"That would be a negative," warned Levi, catching Eren's hand to stop him when the singer leaned towards him and started to reach between his thighs.

"Why?" demanded Eren. "You're hard. I don't want to just leave you like that."

"Remember the last time you distracted me while I was driving and we ended up with a flat tire?" reminded the captain. "Jerking you off is one thing, Jaeger. If you do the same to me while I'm at the wheel, we might not get away with just a flat tire."

"Oh." Eren sounded disappointed, but he didn't press Levi further. "Well, I'm going to take care of you the next chance I get, then, as soon as we have the chance to stop again for a little while."

"I'm sure you will, Eren. You always do."

Eren smiled at him, and he started to say something back, but then he frowned and peered at the rearview mirror on the passenger side door. "Um, Levi? I see police lights coming up behind us."

Levi looked, and his pleasant mood quickly evaporated as he confirmed it. He couldn't tell if it was a state trooper or regular highway patrol from this distance, but he knew damned well he'd been going the speed limit. Unless they had a tail light out or something, this cop had no reason to be pulling them over. Levi watched with narrowed eyes as the car between the RV and the law enforcement cruiser pulled off to the side, and he swore when the police car passed it up. There was a chance that they were after someone up ahead of him and Eren, but Levi thought of Hange's warning and he looked over at his companion grimly.

"Eren, go in the back and get your ODM gear on," he instructed. "When you've done that, ready the rear compartment and unlock my bike from the tracks securing it. You remember how I showed you to do it?"

"Yeah." Eren bit his lip, and he got up to do as he was ordered. "Do you think it's one of them?"

"Dunno." Levi checked his speed again. "Maybe they aren't even after us. They could be going after that guy that rocketed past us a couple of minutes ago, but we won't know until we pull over. If they stop behind us and approach the RV, I want you to let me handle it. Keep out of sight in the back, and be ready to bolt."

"What about you?" Eren cast a worried look at the agent.

Levi pushed aside his jacket to show Eren the gun holstered at his side. "This is more convenient and less conspicuous, but when you finish gearing up you can get my attachments out and ready for me, all right?"

"Yes sir."

* * *

"Fuck." Eren steadied the motorcycle as best he could, and he waited tensely as the RV pulled off and came to a stop. He'd gotten very adept at gearing up quickly in his time with Levi, and he'd secured his gear in under a minute. He listened closely as the siren blared. It sounded like the law enforcement vehicle was right behind them. Eren skirted around Levi's bike to try and peek through the through the compartment panel and see what was going on at the other end of the RV. He couldn't see a damned thing, and he cursed himself for shutting the divider cutting off the sleeping area from the rest of the cabin. Pressing his ear to the panel, he strained to hear.

"License and registration please, sir," came a man's low voice.

Eren heard Levi respond, asking the patrolman what this was all about. The man just reiterated his request more firmly, rather than answer him. It wasn't sounding good. Eren heard another stranger's voice saying something, and he realized there were two officers.

"Come on, please let it just be something small," whispered Eren, shutting his eyes. "Give us a break, man."

* * *

"Sir, is there anyone else in the vehicle, or is it just you?"

"Just me," fibbed Levi evenly. "Are you going to tell me what the problem is, officer? I was just about to pull off at a rest stop to get a little shuteye. Pretty sure I wasn't exceeding the speed limit."

The burly officer shone his flashlight on Levi's fake ID, and then he glanced at his partner and handed it over to him. "Go and run a check on this and the license plate."

Levi checked his temper. "Information please, officer. What's the problem?"

The man looked up at Levi from his position outside on the ground, and his younger companion officer went to their vehicle to run the ID check as directed. "We've had a report on a stolen RV similar to the one you're driving, Mr. Hulcher. Please step out of the vehicle. If everything checks out, you'll be back on the road again shortly."

"I just bought this monster a couple of weeks ago," Levi informed him. He unbuckled his safety belt, and he obeyed the officer's instructions so as not to give him an immediate reason to try and use force. "I'm on my way back home, in fact. Vacation's over with."

"I understand the inconvenience, sir. I'm sure we can clear this up quickly, with your cooperation."

Levi held the officer's gaze coolly as he opened the door and stepped down. "Fine. What do you need to know?"

"I have the information soon enough," stated the officer. "Just be patient, sir. I'm going to ask you to turn around to face the side of the vehicle and place your hands over the surface. Just protocol in a situation like this, you understand."

"Am I under arrest?" challenged Levi, narrowing his eyes, "before you've even got anything to charge me with? That's an illegal 'protocol' where I come from, officer."

"You aren't under arrest yet," informed the taller man, his expression hardening, "but that could change if you give us any hassle, and I really don't give a damn how they do things in Trost, Mr. 'Hulcher'."

Levi kept his face expressionless, not failing to pick up on the emphasis the man put on his alias surname. He avoided looking at the RV's windows as he did as he was told and turned around to place his hands flat against the side of the vehicle, not wanting to give Eren away. The officer spoke into his radio, reporting in to his dispatch unit that they had a possible car-jacking suspect and were looking in on it. Levi might have thought he was just some ignorant shlub that had been set up to look for his RV without being told the real reason behind it, but the way he'd stressed Levi's false name made him suspect he knew exactly what he was doing.

The other officer came back with Levi's license and registration. He urged the big guy aside and they spoke to each other in low voices. "I didn't pull up any criminal records for this guy," Levi's sharp ears heard him say, "but the license plat of this RV _is_ reported stolen."

Levi's mouth tightened, and he checked a sigh. Of course, _that_ was how the BRS was plotting to use law enforcement against them. They must have hacked into the system to file a fake report so that wherever he and Eren went, local authorities would be on the lookout for the RV they were living out of. He heard a telling click, and he knew that one of the officers had unsnapped a gun holster and clicked off the safety.

"Sir, remain where you are," said the burly officer. "We're going to have to search your vehicle and take you in for questioning. Let's not make this difficult, all right? Spread your legs and keep your hands on the side of the RV."

There really was no choice. Levi wasn't the one that was about to make this difficult. He felt hands start to pat him down, and he reacted with lightning speed. "Eren, go," he yelled as he suddenly dropped, swung his right leg out in a sweeping kick and struck the back of the big guy's knees, dropping him fast.

The officer swore as he landed on his back in the road, and Levi jumped up and delivered two quick, hard blows to the other officer to stop him from drawing his gun on him. One hit landed against his windpipe, delivering enough force to temporarily incapacitate him with a loss of breath. The other hit the guy's ear in an open-palmed slap, possibly puncturing his eardrum and no doubt making his head ring. Levi twisted and he kicked the first officer's gun away as the man tried to reach for it, sending it spinning across the pavement and under the RV.

The vehicle shook as stomping footsteps charged through it from the back, and the side door banged open to reveal Eren, wide-eyed and fully geared. "Captain!"

Levi snarled with frustration. "What part of 'go' was unclear to you, brat? Drop the bike and get the hell out of here while I deal with these two. They've probably got people on their way already and I doubt they'll be standard cops."

Eren glanced over his shoulder at the interior of the RV, and then he looked back down at Levi. The agent knew that stubborn look, and he nearly groaned. "That is an _order_ , you idiot. Get out of here. I'll catch up with you."

"I'm not leaving you," Eren decided. He jumped a little when Levi drove his boot into the smaller officer's temple, rendering the choking man unconscious.

"You mule-headed asshole," groused Levi. "Fine, get back in the fucking RV and wait for me. We'll think of something else."

A passing car slowed as Eren obediently ducked back inside, and Levi saw the wide-eyed woman driving it hastily dialing a number on her cellphone, likely dialing the authorities to report that someone was assaulting a pair of officers on the highway. Levi gritted his teeth and he planted his boot against the big guy's throat to keep him down, avoiding drawing his gun. Beating the shit out of two men of the law and resisting arrest was a bad enough charge to have on his head, but drawing a deadly weapon on them would have made it much worse, and he sure as shit didn't want to shoot them and add murder charges on top of that. Hopefully Erwin could pull some strings when they made it to Trost and get Levi back in the clear.

Levi bent down to dig the barely conscious officer's wallet out of his pocket so that he could get a name and rank to check out. He committed it to memory, and then he did the same with the other man. He was sure the bigger guy knew something and was possibly even an undercover agent of the BRS. The other one, he couldn't be certain of.

"Got it," he muttered. Leaving the two men where they lay, He yanked open the driver's side door and he called out to Eren. "You take the wheel, Jaeger. When they come after us—and I'm sure they will after this for sure—I've got to be fully geared and free to use my bike."

Eren dove into the driver's seat without hesitation, and he cussed a little as his gear wedged painfully into his side. He started the RV back up as Levi got into the back of through the side door and immediately went to equip himself.

"What are you planning to do, sir?" Eren dared to call over his shoulder as he pulled back out onto the road, careful to avoid running over the two men sprawled on the side of the highway.

Levi glanced up from his task of securing his wires and canisters. "Whatever it takes, kid."

The former scout captain cursed himself even as he checked everything to make sure it was ready to go when needed. If those two officers really were agents of the BRS, the organization really needed to brush up on their recruitment standards. Hell, Eren's band had managed to take out a whole squad of fully geared interlopers. Then again, they had extensive combat training in their past lives and they did have Mikasa on their side.

"Scientists," he muttered. Of course, his own skills should be taken into account. Perhaps he shouldn't be so quick to shit on his opponent's abilities. Cockiness wasn't a good attitude for him to have when Eren's safety was riding on him. Those supposed "officers" might not have full disclosure _or_ specialized training. Maybe they'd known he was a special agent, but they underestimated him due to his size; which was a common mistake plenty of others had made in the past, including some of Levi's fellow UFI agents.

He'd made an error himself, though. Two of them, at least. The first one was the use of Eren's real name in front of the cops. The second one was to advise the singer to go on ahead without him. Levi admitted to himself that he hadn't thought that plan through very well, but his priority at the time had been to get Eren the hell away from the scene as quickly as possible.

"Fucking idiot," he criticized himself. Why did his logic go out the window so easily when it came to Eren Jaeger?

* * *

The two officers Levi had bested recovered from their ass-kicking, and they reported in to their office bruised and humiliated. "It happened fast," explained the bigger man to their commissioner. "The suspect was a little guy with dark hair. Harlow here pulled up his info before shit hit the fan, so he should be on file, now." He grimaced, touching his bruised temple gingerly. "I thought he was just a kid, at first. He didn't look much older than twenty to me."

"Yeah, well that 'kid' took us both down in five seconds flat, Frank," muttered Harlow, his voice a bit raw from being chopped in the throat. "Had to have some kind of special martial arts training."

"Harlow," said the commissioner, "you go ahead and file a written report while I take down an oral one from your partner. I want to be sure to get every detail, but your throat is obviously in too bad of shape to keep talking, right now. You should go and see your doctor about that."

"Yes sir." Harlow got up and he left his partner and the commissioner alone in the office.

"Now, explain this to me again," said the commissioner sternly to the burly officer. "You have had military training, Frank. You were sent here specifically for that reason. I've looked in on the file concerning Falke Hulcher and special agent or not, the man is barely 5'3". You had him primed for arrest and you're a giant, compared to him. How did he manage to take you down? You reportedly killed a man with a single blow to the head with your fist during one combat situation you were in prior to coming here."

"Wasn't expecting the little bastard to move that fast," excused Frank. "I could have had him if I'd been able to lay a hand on him, but it's a little late for that. I guess they were right; this guy has to be a UFI agent to have gotten the jump on me like that."

"You said there was another man with him, hiding in the RV while you and Harlow were trying to secure this suspect. You said he came out for a minute before you lost consciousness. Did you happen to get a look at him?"

"For a moment." Frank scratched his ginger head and he frowned. "He was a young guy too. Caucasian with brown collar-length hair and either green or hazel eyes. It was hard to tell for sure. I only saw him for a minute before the little guy knocked me out. He called him 'Eren', though."

The officer frowned as he recalled something else. "Oh, and the taller guy called our suspect 'Captain'. I don't know all the ranks in the UFI but I'm pretty sure that's not one of them, which suggests the midget's either been in the military, has some kind of nautical license or he's been in the police force himself in the past. The uh…the guy he called Eren was also wearing some kind of weird parachute setup over his clothes, but I've never seen chute gear that looks like that."

The commissioner frowned. "That makes no sense, if the second man is who I think he is. He has no affiliation with any military force or agency. What would he be doing with a parachute? Let's try to confirm that." He typed something up on his laptop, clicked a few times and then he turned it around so the other man could see the screen. There was a picture of a rock magazine with an attractive, green-eyed young man smiling charmingly on the cover. He was holding a microphone in his hand, posing as though he were getting ready to sing a song.

"Would this be the man you saw with our mystery agent?"

Frank studied the picture, and he nodded. "Yeah, that's him. His hair's longer in this picture, but it's definitely him."

"And you're sure you saw him wearing a parachute?"

"I'm not sure _what_ it was," corrected Frank. "That's just the best description I can give for it. Looked like he had some sort of metal containers attached to it, but like I said, I didn't really get a good look. It could have been a rock-climbing harness, for all I know."

"I see. All right, you're dismissed. Go and write up your physical report, go home and recover. Obviously there's more going on here than I thought."

Frank nodded. "Goodnight, boss. Or rather, good morning."

He got up and left, and as soon as the door closed, the commissioner picked up the phone and he dialed a long-distance number. "Commissioner Sal here. I have confirmation that your target is traveling in the vehicle you reported on, and he's in the company of the man you suspect to be a UFI agent. No, unfortunately they got away. I'm sending you the information concerning where they were last seen, right now."

He paused and he listened to the voice on the other line. "We could set up a blockade and send choppers after them. Satellite imagery will be more useful after daybreak unless you have access to a more reliable system. Yes sir, of course. Happy to cooperate."

* * *

-To be continued


	19. Chapter 19

Eren watched his lover with concern out the corner of his eye. The sun had come up, and they had about nine hours to go before they'd hit the state line of their destination and reach Trost. Levi was slumped in the passenger seat, able to fit in the bucket-style chairs more easily with his gear on than the singer could, thanks to his smaller size. Levi was staring unblinkingly at the road ahead of them, and his eyes were reddened from lack of sleep. The shadows under them were more pronounced again. Eren bit his lip, and he dared to make a tentative suggestion to the other man.

"Levi, shouldn't you try to get a little rest? Especially if you think they're going to send more people after us before we make it to headquarters in Trost? Also, have you considered trying to contact your agency to see if they can send someone to meet up with us and give us some backup?"

"I already called Erwin when I was on the shitter," Levi said bluntly. "He's okay'd it for Eld and Petra to bring a team and meet up with us. They're bringing a chopper."

"Oh." Eren flushed. "You uh…called Commander Erwin while you were taking a crap?" He could well imagine Erwin's reaction to finding out that Levi rang him up while taking care of his business.

"Didn't say I was taking a shit," clarified Levi. "I said I was on the shitter. Nothing came out. Sucks to be tired and constipated at the same time. Don't worry; I didn't tell Erwin what I was doing…or _trying_ to do."

"Well, that's good," said Eren awkwardly. "So if they're going to be traveling by air, they ought to get to us pretty fast, right?"

Levi grunted in acknowledgement. "Hopefully before those BRS fucks do. They've got birds at their disposal too, Eren."

Eren cast a squinting look at the skyline with that reminder, and he reached for the sunglasses in his jacket. "Well, I haven't seen or heard any choppers yet. Maybe we're in the clear and that police situation back there was just a misunderstanding."

Levi glanced at him. "That would be a hell of a misunderstanding and coincidence, Jaeger. I don't know how competent the law officials are around here, but they've got our license plate on record as stolen. We'll be lucky not to get pulled over again before we're even out of this state."

Eren sighed, seeing his point. He felt like he was about to have the opposite version of Levi's bathroom problem, and he grimaced. "With the um…constipation problem, maybe some coffee might help you?"

Levi shrugged. "If nothing else, it might help me stay alert." He grunted as he got out of his seat, and he bent over to cup Eren's chin and give him a brief kiss on the lips. "Be right back."

"Uh, Levi?"

The captain paused to regard him again. "What is it? You're grimacing like you've just smelled something funky."

"I…I have to go to the bathroom. It kind of snuck up on me fast and I don't think I can hold it."

The smaller man's brows went up. "Is it the yellow or brown variety?"

Eren grimaced again, blushing. "Brown. Does it matter, though?"

"Just making conversation. Here, time to maneuver a little. Let me into the driver's seat so you can go have your shit…little show-off."

Eren groaned. "You'd think by now I'd be used to how you talk."

"Heh. Just do yourself a favor and don't fall in. Try not to take too long, either. We've got to be ready to move, and I don't just mean bowels."

* * *

"Boss? You aren't looking so good." Mike frowned at Erwin when the other man returned to their office from the bathroom. "Maybe you ought to see a doctor."

Erwin wiped the sweat from his brow, his hand shaking slightly. "I'll be fine, Mike. Has Eld's team left yet?"

The other man nodded. "They're en route to the coordinates you gave them. I've got people looking into the situation with nation-wide police reports, trying to see what we can do about cleaning up Ackerman's ledger."

Erwin sighed. "I'm afraid that will only purchase a temporary reprieve for him. They'll likely just put out another warrant on him, even if we succeed in wiping the info from the records. It may be time for him to take on a new alias."

"That's a lot of work," Mike pointed out, "takes time to close out accounts, establish a new identity and burn out all traces of the old one. Hey, why are you rubbing your arm like that?" Mike nodded at the arm in question, frowning again. "Erwin, are you having a fucking heart attack or something?"

Erwin glanced down at his right arm, and he swallowed the phantom pain caused by the memory of losing it to a titan's bite in his previous life. "If it were a heart attack, I would be rubbing my _left_ arm. Again, I'm fine. It's just a bit of stiffness from sleeping at my desk last night."

"And the pallor and sweating?" pressed Mike. He sniffed the air in Erwin's direction. "You've got a sour smell to you. Something's got you spooked, so what is it?"

"We've had several breaches in our security," Erwin reminded him. "Levi now has warrants out for his arrest, and standard law enforcement is now on the lookout for the vehicle he's been using to keep Eren mobile and hidden. Forgive me if I seem a bit stressed over this turn of events, but I'm going to be fine."

"Or maybe that bottle you drank from that weird doctor is messing you up," suggested Mike.

Erwin pursed his lips briefly. As usual, his friend was right on the money, but he couldn't explain to him just _how_ it was 'messing him up' without sounding delusional. "It was just prune juice," he lied. "I could taste it. It seems Dr. Zoë likes to keep people regular."

"So it gave you the shits." Mike shrugged. "No wonder you took so long in the bathroom earlier."

Erwin approached the taller blond's desk, and he laid a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "I promise you, if I start to feel ill enough, I'll seek medical help. Right now, I just need to contact our military affiliates and attempt to get in touch with our informant. Don't forget that there's also the matter of the man that you suspected to be an infiltrator, who fled town before we could detain him. Jinn and Ral also reported that they believed they were being watched and followed while at the carnival. We've got too much on our plates to worry about my having a sore arm and a case of mild indigestion."

"I guess." Mike typed out something on his computer, evidently searching for files. "Sure you have someone you can trust in any of those military branches though, Smith?"

"I can think of at least one higher up that I can count on," answered Erwin. He smirked a little, getting another brief flash of memories of the man in question. "As for the others, I intend to watch my step."

* * *

Levi contacted Eld when he decided to get off of the major roads and stick with the older highways that most traffic avoided. It wouldn't be such a straight run to their designated rendezvous point with his second-in-command, but seeing as the team was coming via air travel, they could make some adjustments. Eld was also bringing a different license plate to switch out on the RV.

"Okay, change of plan," Levi told his subordinate. "I've decided to stick to the less traveled roads and avoid the highways. There are some camping grounds about an hour's travel from our current location, out of the way of the busier roads and hopefully out of sight of any local authorities. I'll send you the coordinates once we get there, and you can come bring us the new license plate and give us an air escort back to Trost. What kind of bird are you in, Eld?"

"It's a Weiss 7-S rotor," answered the blond agent, "I figured we might need the muscle if these people send a whole squad after you like the director said they might. Smith cleared the use of it for us."

"Good." Levi felt some small sense of relief. At least with a different license plate, they stood a better chance of getting to their destination without getting pulled over again. They couldn't do anything about the model or color of the RV right now, but a change in the license plate was better than nothing. "I'll be in touch, Jinn. If I see any signs of pursuit before we make it to the campgrounds, I'll try and contact you with an idea of where we're at, got it?"

"Yes sir, understood."

"See you in a while and…what is it, Eren?"

Eren had started to poke him on the leg as Levi was getting ready to wrap up the call. "Cut that out, it's annoying."

"Sorry. I just got an idea," informed Eren.

"Yeah? Did it hurt?" Levi smirked a little at him.

"Come on, be serious," protested the singer. "I think it could work, so please hear me out before you hang up with Eld."

"Hmm. Hold up, Eld. Jaeger says he's got a plan." Levi looked over at his lover as he put it on speakerphone so that Eld could listen too. "Well, let's hear it."

"We could do better than just changing the license plate, and we wouldn't have to stick to back roads," suggested Eren, and then he shared his idea.

* * *

A few hours later, a blue and silver RV got stopped on the WS-11 highway by a police blockade that had been set up at the next state line, checking vehicles and drivers before letting them through. Traffic was backed up as far as the eye could see, thanks to that, and a military grade helicopter hovered off into the distance, black and sleek. It passed by a local news channel's helicopter as they circled around and filmed the traffic conditions.

"Well, here goes," muttered the driver of the RV as one of the police officers approached his vehicle. He tipped his baseball cap in greeting, looking down at the officer through his shades. "Wow, was there a wreck here or something, officer?"

"Sir, please remove your hat and sunglasses, and show me your driver's license and registration," answered the policeman. Two of the other officers went around back to check the license plate number.

"Sure." The RV driver pulled off his hat to reveal a head of thick blond hair, tied back into a ponytail. He lifted his glasses off and he dug his wallet out, glancing at the officer with curious hazel eyes. "Here you go." He handed his driver's license down to him.

The officer took the ID and he looked between it and the driver, before handing it back up. "Do you have any passengers on board?"

The blond man shrugged. "Just the wife. We're just coming back home from visiting my folks up north."

"Honey, what's going on?" called a woman's voice from the back of the RV. A petite young woman with ginger, shoulder-length hair and gold-hazel eyes came waddling up to the front, wearing a white button-up shirt and a pair of black jogging pants. She was in an obvious state of pregnancy, and she rubbed her small hand over her extended abdomen while placing the other hand on the back of the driver's seat for balance. "The contractions are getting stronger. How long will we be here?"

"I dunno, beautiful," answered her husband with a shrug. "They've set up a blockade and they're checking cars."

"Ma'am," greeted the officer before returning his attention to the driver. "Registration, please sir."

"Uh, hold on a minute," answered the blond man. He opened up the compartment in the hump between the driver and passenger seat, and he started to rifle through it. "Damn, where did I put it? Must be buried in here."

One of the other officers approached the one waiting for the driver to produce said papers, and he gave a nod. "It checked out," he said. "The plate's from the same state, but it's not the same number. It's valid, too."

"We still need to see that registration," insisted the first officer.

The expecting woman suddenly tensed, and she sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh no! I…I think my water just broke!"

She reached down and there was the faint sound of something dripping. She grabbed hold of her husband's shoulder, her face screwing up with discomfort. "Kevin, get them the registration! Hurry, I don't want to give birth in an RV!"

"I can't find it," announced the driver tensely, and he gave the officers a pleading look. "I don't know what you guys are looking for, but my wife's going into labor. Please, it's our first kid! I'll send your station a copy of the registration as soon as I find it, but—"

The woman cried out, sinking to her knees. "Oh God, the baby's coming!"

The inspecting officer looked faintly panicked. He leaned closer to his companion. "Okay, I'm clearing it. It's obviously not the vehicle we're searching for." He stepped back and he waved them on through. "Go ahead. Congratulations on the baby."

"Thanks!"

As his wife moaned, the driver rolled the window back up and he drove through the opening created for him when the other officers pulled the gate aside.

"What were they doing taking a vacation with her that far along?" muttered the officer that waved them through.

His companion shrugged. "Probably wasn't due for another week or so and figured they had more time. It happens sometimes. My second came almost two weeks early and we barely made it to the hospital in time before he popped out."

* * *

Up in the black chopper, one of the passengers peered out the window at the highway below, his hooded gray eyes narrowed. "They made it through." Levi turned his head to look at the young man seated beside him. "Smart idea, Jaeger."

Eren smiled modestly. "It was just a modified version of the decoy idea you guys came up with before. I'm glad it worked."

Levi nodded, and he adjusted his headset to speak to the pilot. "What's the ETA on our touchdown if we keep it at a pace to watch over our comrades?"

"A little over four hours since that blockade slowed us down, sir."

"Good enough." Levi looked out the window again and he put his shades on as the chopper turned and the sun shone through on his face. "No sign of any suspicious air traffic yet. Shit, wait…"

He narrowed his eyes again, and he grabbed a set of binoculars from the back compartment of the seat in front of him. "Yeah, I see three choppers coming in from the west. They look like police issue birds."

"Do you think they'll try to follow our helicopter?" asked Eren, leaning over toward Levi a bit to squint in that direction.

"Doubt it," answered the captain. "This is a military issue chopper we're in, and we're heading in the direction of an army base. They'll probably assume we're soldiers returning from an assignment."

"So let me be sure I understand this," Eren said. "The UFI is a special operations agency tied to the military, and you work with the Air Brigade, the Army Brigade and the Naval Brigade?"

"Yeah." Levi leaned back, closing his tired eyes. "Then you've got Research Intel, Satellite Core and Border Protection. The first two apparently gave birth to the BRS, according to recent information the director sent me. That probably means they're in a coalition with them like we are with the brigades. Border Protection is a unit all its own, and they're probably the most neutral of all."

"Then your intelligence agency started out as an off-shoot of those first three military branches you mentioned?"

"Mm-hmm. We don't generally participate in war situations, kid. That's for the brigades and Border Protection." Levi's head lolled on his shoulders, and he felt himself starting to drift off.

"You run covert operations, gather intelligence and investigate persons of interest and their cases," mused Eren, trying to remember everything he'd been told so far.

"Amongst other things, yes. We also run sting operations against assholes like the BRS when they overstep themselves, but this situation is unique because of the enemy's affiliation with two of the major government science departments. Like I told you, we can't just go in, guns blazing. Shit, we didn't even know the BRS was connected to any of our government branches until recently. That's how tightly they've been keeping it under wraps."

He was starting to babble, though he'd already talked about some of this with Eren before.

"I'm sorry," Eren said to him. "I keep asking you questions and making you repeat things. You're so tired, you should get some sleep. It's just a lot of different military branches to remember. I knew about some of them, but I've never heard of Satellite Core or Research Intel before I met you."

Levi slumped toward Eren without realizing it, leaning against him and resting his head on his shoulder. "No shit. Makes you miss the old days when there were only three to keep up with."

Levi didn't noticed the puzzled looks he was getting from two of the nearby agents that overheard him say that, nor did he see Eren's weak little smile. "He's really tired," excused the singer to the agents. "He just needs rest."

They didn't question that, looking at Ackerman's pale face and slack mouth. If they thought it was inappropriate for the SAC to rest against the client that way, they didn't have the balls to say so.

* * *

Levi slept until they landed at the Trost headquarters, and Eren gently shook him awake. "We're here sir," informed the singer when Levi jerked awake.

Levi rubbed his eyes and he looked out the window, noting that the sun was low in the sky. He checked his watch and he felt around for his sunglasses as the chopper touched down. "Where are my shades?" he mumbled.

"Right here." Eren dug them out of his pocket and he handed them over to him. He spoke into the agent's ear. "I took them off when you started smushing them against my shoulder."

Levi cleared his throat, and he put the shades on. "Thanks. I slept pretty hard."

Eren's green eyes studied him with concern. "You still look like you could use a little more rest. Maybe you should take it easy for a couple more hours, once they escort us to the protection suite."

Levi shook his head. "Gotta give the boss my report and decide where we're going to go next after this. I'll go with you to the room, have some tea, and then go to the director's office. You stay in there until I either come back or send one of my team for you, got it? It'll likely be either Eld or Petra if I send someone for you. I'll call you if I'm sending someone for you."

Eren sighed, but he nodded. "Okay."

They disembarked from the aircraft and they walked across the roof of the building, passing other helicopters on the way to the code console that would open the panel to the lift. The pilot put in the code number and Levi covered a yawn as the panel slid open, followed by the buzz of the lift coming up. He directed Eren to step on with the rest of them, and they rode it down to the highest floor, where it stopped at a short corridor. From there they walked to the elevator and they boarded that. Levi selected the floor that he and Eren needed, while the other agents selected theirs. He felt his phone buzz as they started descending and he pulled it out to check it.

"Eld and Petra are on their way in," he murmured to Eren. "They've parked the RV in the garage. They'll take us to it after we've all finished reporting in, and we'll get whatever we might need for the night out of it."

"That's cool." Eren propped his shades on his head. "So after this meeting, would you please get some more rest? I know you can usually go on three hours' sleep, but—"

"Yes, brat," interrupted Levi when his fellow agents regarded him with quiet amusement over the way Eren was mothering him. He wondered how much he'd let himself go in front of them while he was dozing. He hoped to hell he hadn't gotten too cuddly in front of them. After being with Eren 24/7 and sleeping in his arms most of the time, Levi had grown used to it and he could imagine himself forgetting where they were and just…

"What are you idiots smirking about?" he finally challenged, inwardly embarrassed. Might as well forget hiding the fact that Eren was more than just a client to him.

The left agent that had come with Ral and Jinn cleared his throat and averted his gaze. "Nothing, sir."

"Hmph. Good. Keep it that way." Levi took his shades off, and he put them in his jacket pocket. He folded his arms over his chest, and he slumped against the wall of the elevator. The pilot got off first, and he gave them a quick salute before the doors slid shut. Next they came to the witness protection floor and Levi gestured for Eren to step out before joining him. He glanced back at his other companions. "Go ahead and file your written reports. Leave the debriefing to me and Agent Jinn."

"Yes sir!"

Satisfied that they'd get their part done, Levi took the key cards he'd been given and he handed one to Eren after checking the suite number on them. "Let's go, Jaeger. I want to get this report over with so we can bathe and have a meal."

* * *

Erwin had already taken some pills for another headache before Levi reported to his office. He was sipping some coffee to stay alert, and just looking at Ackerman made him feel even more tired. He gestured to one of the seats before his desk, taking note of the shadowed gray eyes and the slumping posture of the smaller man.

"Please, sit down," invited Erwin as Levi closed the door behind him. "You look exhausted."

Levi's tired gaze scanned the director. "Yeah? Well your hair looks like you stuck roadkill on your head as a toupee, you dripped coffee on your shirt and your face looks like an ass."

Erwin self-consciously touched his face, smoothed his hair and then reached for a tissue to try and wipe away the coffee he now noticed on the left upper side of his shirt. He stopped with annoyance a second later, raising his gaze to Levi again. "I see you're in a fabulous mood. Aren't zombies meant to be void of sarcasm as well as any personality? Oh, wait…you have that last part covered."

Levi stared at him expressionlessly for a moment. "Nice, comparing me to the walking dead. Really mature, Smith."

The director shrugged his broad shoulders. "I know my insult wasn't quite as colorful and detailed as yours, but I think I can hold my own. I find it ironic that you would accuse me of being immature, when I simply responded in kind to your jab."

Levi tilted his head. "When I do it, it's typical behavior of me. When _you_ do it, it's just fucking weird."

"Yet no less deserved," countered Erwin. "Feet off my desk please, Ackerman."

"Tch." Levi took his feet off. "You can't even be properly insulting, idiot. You're too cordial. It's pathetic, actually…like hearing a priest try to talk like a gangster."

Erwin raised a brow. "You liken me to a priest?"

Levi blinked slowly, and then he shook his head. A tiny smirk adorned his pouty lips. "No, you're right…that's a fucked up comparison. You aren't virtuous at all."

Erwin smirked as well. "It's been my experience that precious few clergymen _are_ , Levi. You can do better than that."

Levi compressed his lips briefly, his gaze flicking over the blond. "Hmm, maybe you'd make a convincing priest, after all. Kind of a hot one."

"Then I take it you would be my alter boy?"

Erwin's eyes went wide at his own statement, and he flushed at his own crudeness.

"Holy fuck, you really just went there," blurted Levi, eyes widening as well. "You sick bastard."

Erwin started to issue a rebuttal and try to backpedal, but then Levi Ackerman _smiled_. Levi then bowed his head, put a palm to his forehead and started making that little "Heh" sound over and over, his shoulders trembling suspiciously.

Erwin's brows furrowed. He was so unfamiliar with seeing this kind of reaction from Ackerman that for a moment, he wondered if he was crying. "Levi?"

Levi waved his free hand blindly, and then he snorted and "heh'd" again.

"Are you laughing?" Erwin started to smile in spite of himself.

"N-no," denied Levi between huffs. "Is th-that how you flirt these days, Erwin? 'Cause if that's how your pickup lines go, it's a wonder you ever get laid at all."

"You were the one that said I'd make a hot priest," Erwin pointed out, beginning to chuckle as well.

"Yeah, but p-people are allowed to think adult clergymen are attractive," countered Levi, still hiding his face. "You took it to a whole, twisted new level."

"I learned from the best," muttered Erwin dryly. "You've rubbed off on me in my fatigue, little terror."

"I wouldn't have gone to _that_ place," insisted Levi. He wiped at his eyes and he finally looked at Erwin, revealing suspicious sparkles of moisture at the corners of them. "Fuck almighty, that was bad."

Erwin grimaced, even as he laughed softly. "I concur. Tell me how _you_ would have responded then, genius one."

Levi took a steadying breath, and he shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe: _'Would you want to lift my robes and see what's under there'_ , or : _'I know what I'm dressing up as next Halloween'_. Damn, Smith."

Erwin sighed, his laughter calming as well. "This is just proof of how exhausted we both are. You actually _laughed_ and I've spouted a revolting joke."

"I wasn't laughing," denied Levi, "and don't worry about it. You're not exactly yourself right now, and I imagine you've got the memory recall fucking with you on top of being overworked. I doubt you'd have said that, otherwise."

Erwin sobered up, and he rubbed his right shoulder. "It's gracious of you to say so, Levi. That was embarrassing." Seeing Levi laugh—despite his denial over it—made the slip-up more bearable to him.

The amusement faded from Levi's eyes, and he looked at the shoulder Erwin was rubbing. "I guess you remembered the arm," he said softly. Now there was something else in his gaze: recalled emotional pain.

Erwin also sobered, and he stared at the raven-haired agent quietly for a moment before making himself stop rubbing his shoulder and bicep. He folded his hands over his desk and he nodded solemnly. "Yes. I've also come to remember a certain potty-mouthed, former thug caring diligently for me while I was recovering. I…don't believe I ever properly thanked you for that bit of compassion, Levi."

The captain's brows pinched, and he looked away, staring at some space above Erwin's old military badges from his days with the Air Brigade, hanging frames on the wall. "Shit…you don't need to…Erwin, just don't."

"I _do_ need to, Levi," insisted the blond. "I need to because I never expressed my appreciation of it in the past. I would like you to know that it meant a lot to me, even though I never really told you just how much."

Levi met his gaze again, his pale throat working as he swallowed. "I knew you appreciated it. That was never in question. You said it with your actions and your eyes. Didn't need to tell me verbally."

"I suppose." Erwin swallowed as well, aching for things that could never be again. "How did we go from cracking up to this?"

"I fucked up and mentioned it," answered Levi readily. "Sorry. I think I can lighten the mood again, though. I was on the shitter the last time we spoke over the phone."

Erwin had been about to take another sip of coffee, and he paused with his mug partway to his lips. "Excuse me?"

"The s-h-I-t-t-e-r," repeated Levi slowly. "The loo. The porcelain god. The white throne. The piss bowl. The—"

"All right, I understand," interjected Erwin, holding up a palm to stop the barrage of synonyms. He rubbed the spot between his eyebrows with two fingertips. "You were just sitting on it, or were you…?"

"What do _you_ think?" Levi crossed his legs and he smirked. "I'm surprised you didn't question my grunts between sentences."

"Christ, Levi," blurted Erwin.

"Oh, don't even try to get sanctimonious with me after your little 'alter boy' comment." Levi picked up his bottled tea that he'd set down on the floor, and he unscrewed the cap to have a drink from it. "Wasn't my fault, anyhow. I was already in there trying to drop a log when you called. Considering the situation and the fact that nothing was actually coming out, I decided it was best to answer it. You know, I _still_ haven't had a shit. Do we have any laxative in the medical wing?"

"I…really don't know," Erwin said uncomfortably, trying not to picture the moment. "I'm sure they have something you could take."

The change of subject didn't exactly lighten the mood, but it certainly took Erwin's mind off of some of the more erotic memories concerning Levi that had returned to him. He should have expected the subject of bowel movements to come up eventually, given that it was Levi. He was about to suggest they begin the debriefing that Levi was supposed to be there for in the first place, but then his office door opened. He felt some relief when Mike walked in with Petra and Eld following behind him.

"All right," said Erwin, "Let's go over this then, shall we? We need to document and arrange all of our information, and then we need to decide on our next course of action."

* * *

Eren was pacing restlessly in his guarded suite. He'd spoken with Mikasa a little while ago, and she told him that she and the others were okay. She asked how he was doing, and he assured her that he was all right too. He didn't tell her about the crooked police coming after him and Levi, deciding that it would needlessly worry her. Now he had nothing to do to take his mind off things while he awaited news from his lover. He had his laptop with him, but each time he sat down to try and do something with it, his mind drew a blank. The caffeinated soda he was sipping on probably wasn't helping to calm his nerves.

When the door opened and Levi stepped in, Eren nearly dropped his can of drink, his entire world narrowing down to that small, deadly form entering the suite. He hastily set the beverage on the table and he went to Levi as the man closed and locked the door behind him.

"Well? Well?"

"Tch, you're as bad as Hange," admonished Levi, grunting as Eren scooped him into a hug. "Cool it, Jaeger. I wasn't gone for very long. We need to do something about this separation anxiety you've developed."

Eren winced. He hadn't meant to let his affection for Levi put him in a state of such dependency on him, but recent events had gotten on his last nerve. He felt like every shadow posed a danger now, and he kept imagining scenarios of the enemy infiltrating Levi's command ranks before they could be detected and overpowering him. He blamed his over-reactive imagination for his insecurity.

"I'm not trying to be clingy," whispered Eren, blushing. "It's just…after what's happened recently I'm almost afraid to let you out of my sight."

Levi quirked a brow. "So this is due to _you_ feeling protective over _me_ , is that it?"

Eren shrugged, lowering his eyes. "It's stupid, I know. Your fighting skills are the stuff of legends, and you've been the one protecting me. I know you aren't immortal, though. You can be hurt like any other man."

Levi gazed up at him thoughtfully, and he shook his head. "I can't blame you for feeling twitchy, Eren. The last twenty-four hours have been intense, and you've seen what the BRS is capable of. I just don't want you shitting yourself with worry every time I'm out of your sight, okay?"

Eren lifted his eyes and he smiled bashfully at the agent. "I'll try to tone it down, Levi."

"Good, you do that." Levi pulled out of his embrace, walked over to the bed and sat down on it. He patted the spot beside him, and when Eren joined him, he explained the situation to him. "Your friends are at the Tarsus Valley UFI headquarters under tight surveillance, for now."

"I knew about my band," Eren said. "I spoke with Mikasa earlier while you were in your meeting and she told me. Damn, I hadn't thought to call Mom. Maybe I should."

"Don't bother yet," Levi advised. "You won't be able to reach her on her old number. She'll be issued a secure phone like everyone else, and I'm sure she'll contact you. She and the band won't be in Tarsus for much longer, anyway. Erwin's making arrangements to have them transported here to Trost, where he can keep a direct eye on them himself."

"But isn't that dangerous?" Eren frowned. "You said Trost is where the BRS's main research facility is, right? That's why you don't want to stay here for very long."

"Yeah, and don't worry; we won't be staying for more than a couple of days."

"So we'll be on the move again by the time the others arrive here?" pressed Eren.

"That's right, only we're going to try a different tactic, this time. We won't be touring the countryside in the RV anymore." Levi reclined back on the mattress with his legs hanging over the bed, threading his fingers together under his head as he looked up at the ceiling. "Erwin pointed something out to me that I thought made some damned good sense."

"And what's that?" Eren lay down beside him on his side, reaching out to rub Levi's chest. The man looked so tired, but he knew Levi wouldn't rest until he'd explained the situation thoroughly to him.

Levi turned his head to look at him. "He said, and I quote: _'Eren's foes are searching for him on land, so continuing to try and hide him on land may not be a viable option at this point'_. After some discussion, I agreed with him."

Eren blinked, confused. "Then what? We travel constantly by air?"

"Hell no. That would be too expensive, and even if it weren't, it's impractical. Wouldn't be good for your health to be cooped up in a plane or helicopter non-stop for however long it's going to take for us to bring these fuckers down."

Eren sighed. "So what does the commander mean, then?"

Levi smirked. He reached out to brush a wayward lock of brown hair away from Eren's eye. "Smith is one sly son of a bitch, you have to give him credit for that, at least. We hide you out at sea, Eren. There's an offshore Naval Brigade base in the southern gulf, under the command of Keith Shadis. You remember him, don't you Eren?"

The singer nodded, eyes widening. "That hardass? Of course. Holy shit, so he's in charge of the Naval Brigade now?"

"Looks like it." Levi nodded. "It came as a surprise to me, too. He and Erwin go back a ways in this life, apparently. Erwin didn't realize the significance of that until he started recently getting his old memories back, but now he's confident that you'd be safer at the Maelstrom than you would be anywhere on dry land, right now. It's the first time I've ever heard of the place, and as far as we know the BRS and their affiliate branches are unaware of it, too. It's top-secret and those science geeks are still looking for you on land. Erwin says the place has massive defense capabilities, and the whole base can even submerge. In fact, the facility stays submerged most of the time…which is why they've been able to keep it so hush-hush."

"Wow." Eren was picturing all sorts of different setups for such a thing to be possible. "Um…so they've kept it hidden even from their fellow military branches?"

Levi nodded. "For reasons that are becoming more obvious with each fucking day. Only a select few outside that base's personnel know about the place. Seems like tensions between factions has been running high for longer than I even knew about. So, the plan is to take you there in a couple of days, after Erwin gets all of the clearance needed for the transport and sets up our ride with an approved team of escorts. When your mother and your friends get here, they'll be processed and transported to the same location. Even if the BRS finds out about the Maelstrom base, they'll have a hell of a time trying to infiltrate it."

Eren swallowed, a little nervous. "So I'll be underwater?"

"Most of the time, yeah." Levi poked him lightly in the ribs. "Don't freak out on me, kid. I'll be there with you and soon, so will your mother and your friends. It's safe. They've had that place in operation for two fucking years now, with not incidents of any leaks or malfunctions. I wouldn't agree to bring you there if I thought there was a risk of the facility collapsing and drowning you."

"Well, how does it work?" Eren's eyes went blank as he tried to picture it. "Is it like a giant submarine, or is it more like a huge barge that can sink? Does it move around or is it stationary?"

Levi sighed, closing his eyes as he tried to answer the questions. "From what I understand, it's a stationary base. It's not like a naval aircraft carrier that transports air units across the ocean. The way it was described to me, the place is like a nut on a screw. The 'screw' part is the pillar…the anchor they secured into the ocean floor, and the 'nut' part is the base itself, wrapped around it. It revolves around the pillar to emerge and submerge. I guess that's whey they named it the 'maelstrom', because from the photos Erwin shared with me, it looks like a giant whirlpool forms when the base is in motion."

"That sounds cool." Eren smiled. "Can I see some of those pictures? I'm curious now."

"Maybe tomorrow." Levi opened his eyes and he took one hand from behind his head to cover his mouth on a yawn. "Right now, I just want to finally have a shit, take a bath and have a decent meal before bed. We've got a couple of days to wind down before everything's finalized for departure. Who knows, maybe your mother and your friends will get here in time to fly with us to the Maelstrom. If not, they'll join us within a day or so, I'm sure."

Eren began to relax, his trust in Levi and the cool confidence in the man's voice easing his concerns. "Sounds like it's going to be kind of an adventure…hopefully without all the chasing and gunfire."

"Heh, no shit." Levi got up with a grunt, and he headed for the bathroom. "Why don't you look over the room service menu and order us something to eat while I take care of my business, Eren?"

"Don't you want to have a look too?" Eren picked up the menu sitting on the nightstand.

"You know what I like." Levi shrugged, and he took his jacket off to hang it on the back of one of the chairs at the table. "I think I can leave it in your hands."

Eren smiled and nodded. "Okay. Good luck in there."

"Tch. I'll need it." Levi. "Hope they've got air freshener available."

Eren chuckled as his lover vanished into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

* * *

-To be continued


	20. Chapter 20

After finally getting some relief from his bathroom issues, Levi crashed hard. The next morning he woke up before Eren, naturally, and he watched him for a few moments before tucking him in and getting up to shower and begin the day's organization. There really wasn't much to do except retrieve their belongings from the RV and bring them to the suite they were sharing during their stay. Levi did all of this while Eren was still snoozing away. After setting everything up in their room, he debated on whether to wake his lover or leave him be. Levi decided on the latter, knowing how the last few days had worn them both down. He could use a bit more shuteye himself, but his body only allowed him to sleep for so many hours at a time and he'd rather be productive than just lie there awake in bed.

Levi had a meeting with his team leaders after finishing up with that, instructing Eld on the protocol he expected them to follow while the investigation went on. "I have to stick by Eren's side," he explained to his SSA, "so you'll be in charge of the team while I'm off the map. Any questions?"

Eld shook his head. "None, sir. I hear you loud and clear."

"Oh sir, that reminds me," said Petra. She set down the box she'd brought into Levi's office with her and she smiled a bit sheepishly. "Here are the clothes I borrowed while we were acting as your decoy. I had to use Mr. Jaeger's shirt and pants to make room for my 'preggy belly'. I hope he won't mind. I washed them last night when we got back."

Levi looked down at clothing items neatly folded in the box, and he lifted a thin, dark brow inquisitively. "Want to run that by me again, Ral? Your 'preggy belly'?"

She nodded and she exchanged a grin with Eld. "It was part of the act. I thought there might be a chance that we'd have a little trouble getting through the blockade if they asked for registration papers."

"And they did," added Eld.

"So, since your alias is on those papers, I came up with an idea to skip having to show it to them," Petra went on. "I slipped into Eren's clothes and they were loose enough on me to stuff one of the round throw pillows on the couch under them…you know, to fake a pregnant belly. It worked."

The captain quickly took a sip of his tea as a smile threatened. "So _that's_ how you got through. I'd wondered."

Eld smiled at Petra. "Her idea worked perfectly, boss. She came waddling up to the front of the cab with that getup on and she faked going into labor when they asked for the registration papers. Worked like a charm."

"Hmph. Well, congratulations." Levi slid the box on his desk toward him and he took Eren's clothes out of it. "You two move fast. Not even a fucking wedding. Was it a boy or a girl?"

Eld grinned as Petra blushed. "Maybe it was twins. They run in my family, you know. It usually skips a generation, so if I ever _do_ take the vows…"

"Nice way to scare her off," snorted Levi, noticing the way Petra's eyes widened on Eld.

"Oh hey, I'm not trying to project," protested the blond agent, turning to face Petra with an apologetic shrug. "Just bantering with the boss."

"Or stuffing his mouth with his own foot," quipped Levi dryly with a shrug. "Take your pick."

Petra giggled behind her hand as Eld scratched his head self-consciously, shrugging as well. "Should have kept quiet about the twins thing, I guess."

Levi's desk phone rang, and he excused himself to answer it. "Ackerman."

"Levi, report to my office immediately," Erwin's voice said on the other line. "I have Hange Zoë on my mobile right now, and she has further information to impart. She wants you present to hear it, so when you get here I'll put it on the speakerphone."

Levi glanced at his two companions. "Understood. I'll be right there, chief."

He hung up with Erwin and he got out of his chair, giving Petra and Eld a nod. "All right, dismissed. I have to go and discuss something with the director. You have your orders, so get to work. The sooner we flush out our enemies, the better off we'll all be."

Petra and Eld stood up, both giving him a sharp nod. "Sir."

* * *

Levi joined Erwin and Mike in their office, and he had a seat while the director put his cellphone on speaker. "All right, Hange. Levi is here. Tell us what news you have."

"Hi Levi!" answered the doctor with enthusiasm. "I'm glad to hear you and Eren made it safely home."

"We won't be here for more than another day," Levi informed her. "So, what have you got for us, four-eyes?"

"Well, first and foremost, I've sent Erwin the location of the research facility just outside of Trost. I'm also in the process of uploading a schematic of the layout, along with all of the information I can give about the compound's security structure and any weaknesses I've found that you might be able to exploit when and if you fellows move in on them."

Erwin nodded, exchanging glances with his two companions. "Excellent. I'm working with the higher ups on that goal, but I'm afraid they'll need more concrete evidence that our targets are conducting illegal operations before they give the nod. Have you anything solid to share with us, to that end?"

"Not just yet, but I should have something more for you soon," explained Hange. "I've been assigned to the Coordinate sub-project, which is part of the Titan project. Once I start on it, I'll be able to access files that might provide the evidence you need. As soon as I manage that, I'll send you the information."

She sighed. "Erwin…Levi…there's something else you should know. The man who assigned me to the Coordinate project is none other than Rod Reiss. He's the one heading the entire operation. He's the one that formed the BRS, some two years ago. I'm sure he's also the one that knew about Eren's coordinate ability and started organizing his abduction for their research."

"Rod Reiss?" repeated Erwin and Levi at the same time, eyes locking over the director's desk.

Mike frowned, in the dark about the significance of that name, unlike his the others. "Who the hell is Rod Reiss? Never heard of him."

"He's…a scientist," Erwin confided, using the most simple and logical explanation he could give without going into the past lives that Mike could not recall. "He was with Research Intel before he formed the sub organization and took it over."

"You never mentioned him before," accused Mike, narrowing his eyes.

"Because I didn't have that information before," excused Erwin smoothly. "I can't share with you what I don't know."

"But Ackerman knows." Mike pointed out with a nod at Levi.

"Only just recently," said Levi. "It doesn't matter anyway, does it? The bastard's dangerous, and now that we know he's heading this project, we need to be doubly on guard."

"Absolutely," agreed Hange on the other line. "I've been wondering who could have started this manhunt for Eren, and now I know for sure."

"But how?" questioned Erwin with a frown. "How could he know? The only ones with the recollection to…"

He trailed off, shooting a glance at Mike as he tempered his words. He'd nearly said that the only way Reiss could have past life recollection to know that Eren could have the coordinate would be if he'd done something to trigger those memories. As far as Erwin knew, the man didn't have any heritage that would allow him to retain those memories like Levi and Mikasa. Why else would he have started these projects, and what was he trying to accomplish with them, exactly? A chill went down his spine at the implications. Titan project…Coordinate project. What other purpose could these projects serve, if not the reintroduction of titans to the world, under the control of the government as living weapons?

"That fool," muttered Erwin, clasping his hands together in a fist and pressing his mouth against them. He mumbled around his hands, shaking his head slowly as he met Levi's pale gaze. "If he's trying to do what I suspect, we could have a crisis on our hands. History will repeat itself."

"Don't jump to conclusions," advised Levi. "Even if the fucker can create titans, he's kidding himself if he thinks he or anyone else can control them…with or without access to the coordinate."

"Well kiddies, that's the problem," Hange pointed out, her voice tense over the speaker phone. "He _can't_ control them, and wherever he's storing these creatures if he _has_ managed to transform any subjects into them, it can't be far enough away from civilization to be safe. If the titans return and break out of where they're being held, we're up shit creek."

Mike looked between Levi and Erwin with a puzzled grimace on his lips. "What the hell are you guys talking about? Titans? They never existed. They're just bogeymen in fairy tales to scare little kids into behaving."

Levi's piercing gaze narrowed on the big blond agent. "Think so, Zacharius?"

Erwin quickly employed damage control before the conversation got too wild for Mike to retain faith in his and Levi's sanity. "Whether they were real or not, this man obviously believes in them, or else he's attempting to make them a reality. This presents an even bigger problem, however. How many government branches and higher ups know about this? We have no way of knowing yet who is in on it and who isn't, so we must be careful about with whom we share any information Hange provides for us."

"That I can agree on." Mike nodded. "I still feel like I'm in the dark here though, boss."

"Things will be clearer with time, once we have more evidence," soothed Erwin. "Right now, we're still operating on conjecture. If Dr. Zoë has her foot in the door with these projects as she says, I'm sure she can procure something for us once she begins working on it in earnest."

"Oh, I will," promised Hange. "In the meantime though, maybe I should send another elixir to you. I think it could be time to bring Mike in on this, Erwin."

Erwin's vivid eyes widened slightly, and he exchanged a faintly concerned look with Levi. "I really don't think that's necessary right now."

"Whoa, _now_ what are you talking about?" demanded Mike. "Is she talking about that pune juice shit you drank from her? 'Cause you couldn't pay me to drink that stuff. What is this, some secret frat society you're all in?"

"No, nothing like that," assured Erwin. "I haven't discussed these things in depth with you because it's difficult to explain something that I don't completely understand myself yet, Mike."

The taller blond leaned back in his chair, and he propped his booted feet on his desk. "Then why don't you try harder, chief? I'm your second-in-command and I should know all the details you can spare."

Erwin sighed, shooting another glance at Levi. What should he do?

"If we tell you," Levi said slowly, "you won't believe us anyway."

"Unless he takes my tonic," Hange piped up on the phone. "I'll send you some, and everything will make a lot more sense!"

Mike stubbornly shook his head. "No fucking way. I'm not touching that stuff. Next you'll have me wearing a bra on my head and chanting some initiation ritual or something."

"That's a radical interpretation of the text," smirked Erwin.

Mike shrugged. "Either way, you need to be straight with me."

"He's told you everything he can," Levi said in Erwin's defense. "There's not much more to tell until our contact finds and delivers more intel to us, Mike."

"You'd really clear up a lot of confusion if you'd just take my tonic," pressed Hange on the phone.

Erwin shook his head, ignoring the glaring frown that Mike was giving the phone on his desk. "Hange, that isn't an option right now, even if he were willing to do it. I need all of my people in top physical and mental shape right now. We could be pressing the attack within days, and I can't afford to have one of my best agents out of commission."

She sighed. "Oh, all right. I suppose you have a good point. I'll still brew up a batch for him and keep it put aside for later, if he changes his mind. I'd best go now; my lunch break is almost up and I don't want to give these people any reason to watch me closer. Be sure to check your email, Erwin. I don't know when I can resend that information again, if for any reason it didn't go through."

"Will do. Be careful, Hange." Erwin ended the call, and he looked to Levi. "Transport for you and Jaeger to the Maelstrom will be available by tomorrow, Agent Ackerman. Eren's mother and friends unfortunately won't arrive before you leave, but we shouldn't have the two of you lingering here for longer than necessary."

"I'm on board with that," Levi agreed. "We'll get packed up tonight and be ready to move out by morning."

* * *

Levi returned to the suite to find that Eren was nowhere in sight. He quickly took in the scenery before allowing himself to get alarmed, and he saw that the bathroom door was closed. There was light streaming out from under the crack, and Levi heard a faint groan and a sound coming from behind it that would probably have Eren blushing like crazy if he knew his lover heard it. He grimaced a bit, and he bit his tongue on the crude and un-necessary question that arose in his throat. Quietly, the agent went over to his computer case and he pulled the laptop out to look up the files that Erwin had provided him access codes for. Levi took a photo tour of the facilities that he and Eren would be staying at, whistling softly with admiration.

The place was huge, and the defenses looked really tight. Even if enemy forces could get a location for the Maelstrom base, the only way they could converge an attack on it would be via underwater warfare—unless they could manage to gain the access permission code and trick the operations staff into surfacing for an air strike. He had faith that it was so classified that the odds of the BRS and their allied branches didn't yet know it existed, but he wasn't going to allow that to put him into a false sense of security.

The toilet flushed, and Eren came out wearing a less than happy expression on his sleepy face. Levi glanced up from what he was doing, taking in the way his lover had one hand pressed against his lower abs.

"Making some soup in there, Eren?"

The singer predictably flushed, and Levi mentally rolled his eyes at his own inability to refrain from the shit cracks. "Sorry kid. You look pretty miserable."

Eren gave him a wan, forgiving little smile. "I guess it's just nerves. I thought maybe if I had eggs for breakfast it might help. I guess it's too soon to expect results. Um, have you eaten?"

"I had a bagel on my way to the director's office. So do you think you're finished in there, or what? I want to show you where we're gonna be touching down tomorrow."

"I think I'm okay for a little while. Just don't go in there right away. I sprayed some air freshener but…well, you know."

"Hmph, I can guess. So sit down for a minute and have a look. You should get a little familiar with the place before we get there, so there won't be any big surprises."

Eren nodded, and he tightened the belt of his robe before joining Levi at the table and scooting his chair closer to the agent's. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the air shot of the base surfaced. "Oh, wow. That's even cooler than I imagined."

Levi looked at the picture on the screen, and he nodded with agreement. The base was octagonal in shape, surrounding the pillar that allowed it to emerge and submerge in the water. There appeared to be flight runways on it, and there were completely enclosed towers rising from each corner.

"What are those?" Eren pointed at one of the towers.

"Enclosed turrets, probably." Levi peered closer. "Probably for air and surface naval defense. Everything operational on the surface would have to be capable of being completely sealed and watertight. Looks like they've got a landing control tower there on the northern end by the runways."

"Hmm, wouldn't that make takeoff and landing a little slippery?" guessed Eren. "I mean, for planes at least. If the runway's always wet it would probably be tough to take off, right?"

"Not really, for the sort of aircrafts that would typically be touching down there. Here, I'll show you."

Levi skipped to the next photo, and then the next one after that. He stopped at an image of a sleek black fighter jet, triangular shaped rather than the common airplane shape. It was inside a large hanger with a few more of its kind, some larger bomber planes and some helicopters. "Those are stingers. They don't rely on the same methods as commercial airplanes to take off. You've probably never seen one in the process of takeoff of landing before, but you may have seen them flying in formation at some point."

Eren narrowed his eyes at the image and he nodded. "Yeah, now that you mention it, I recognize the shape. So how do they get off the ground if they don't need a runway takeoff?"

"They're STOVL fighter jets," explained Levi. "That means 'short take off vertical landing'. They're equipped with hovering jets, in other words. Looks like there's enough length on the runway for ordinary planes to land and take off on this base too."

Levi clicked through another couple of pictures, and then he pointed something out on another one. "See that? They've got a fucking dome that closes over the runway before they submerge, so I'm betting they manage to keep it sealed, dry and watertight when they go under."

"Oh." Eren tilted his head. "This place looks really fucking tight. I'm kind of excited to get to have a look at it."

"Good. Better for you to be excited than scared."

Eren chuckled weakly, looking away from the screen to meet Levi's eyes. "Well, that too. Maybe not scared, but nervous. I'm glad you'll be there with me, Captain."

"Wouldn't be much of a bodyguard if I weren't." Levi smirked, and he grabbed one of the legs of Eren's chair to pull it closer to his. "There are a few more pictures to go through. Let's see if we can get a good lay of the land, shall we?"

Eren smiled and nodded, laying his head on Levi's shoulder as they browsed through interior shots of the secret military base they would be residing at for an unknown amount of time.

* * *

The next morning after breakfast, Eren and Levi boarded the transport chopper that would take them to the Maelstrom naval base off the coast. Levi was in a surly mood because he'd spent most of the night before trying to wear Eren out so that the nervous singer could get some sleep. They'd both only gotten about three hours of rest, which normally would have been enough for Levi except that he really hadn't had enough of his little "cat naps" to balance out yet. While the agent generally couldn't sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time, he tended to do so at intervals so that he was rested enough. These past few days, he hadn't had much time to catch up on his sleep except for when the exhaustion simply became too much for him to put it off any longer.

"I'm sorry," Eren whispered guiltily to his lover as they buckled into their seats for takeoff from the rooftop landing pad at headquarters. "It's my fault you're so tired again."

Levi shrugged, and he put his shades on. He leaned his head back against his seat with a sigh after checking his communication headset. "Don't worry about it. I'll nap on the way there."

He risked a brief pat to Eren's knee before the two accompanying field agents finished boarding to seat themselves across from them. "I'm the one that kept on fooling around when I knew I should have just gotten us both a sleep aid to take instead. Try to get a little shuteye yourself, Eren. We ought to reach our destination in about four hours, tops."

Eren nodded. "I'll try, sir."

* * *

Levi had no idea how much of a nap he was destined to take. Something woke him from his doze not twenty minutes after they took off. They hadn't hit any air turbulence, but his body was jolted awake with a sudden sense of alarm that he couldn't put his finger on. He gave a little start, and he rubbed his eyes beneath his sunglasses to clear them of sleep. He looked around with a small frown, disoriented at first. Recalling that they were on a transport chopper, he looked out the window to peer at the ground below. A frown tugged at his lips when he recognized the landscape, and he reached for his phone to pull up the compass application on it.

"Pilot," he said into the mic of his headpiece, "why the hell are we going due north, when we should be heading east?"

He got no response from the man flying the chopper. Levi narrowed his eyes and he looked toward the closed door of the cockpit up ahead. "Hey, you copy? We're off course. This isn't the right heading."

He then glanced over to the left where the two accompanying agents were sitting, and his frown deepened when he saw a blond guy in a medic uniform leaning over the two agents. He couldn't see his features from behind, but he remembered being told that they would have a medic accompanying them in case anything went amiss during their journey that might require that sort of aid.

"Hey you," Levi called, absently trying to adjust his communication headset, "Something's gone screwy here. Any idea why—"

The blond man then twisted to look back at him, and Levi was so groggy and surprised by his recognition of the medic's face that he didn't immediately register the fact that the man was pointing a gun at him.

"Moblit?"

Levi then saw the gun and he cursed, one hand dropping his pone to go for his own firearm while the other reached for his safety belt's buckle. Even being disadvantaged with surprise and fatigue, Levi was quick to move—though not quite quick enough. He got his seatbelt undone and he had his gun halfway out of its holster when there was a cracking sound, followed by a _pfwoot_ noise as Moblit fired his weapon. Levi felt a sharp sting in his upper right chest near his shoulder, but he ignored it. The anxiety and surprise on Moblit's face was quite genuine when Agent Ackerman gave up on trying to get his gun out of its holster and climbed over Eren's sleeping form, hurling himself across the seats to slam into the traitor.

Moblit gave a yell and Levi heard Eren blurt a startled oath, evidently woken up by the sudden ruckus and activity. "Levi?" called the singer, and then: "Oh my god… _Moblit_?"

Levi couldn't afford to try and explain the suddenly fucked up situation to his lover. He felt his strength draining rapidly from him, his vision blurring. His coordination was failing him even as he grabbed Moblit's wrist and slammed it against the side of the seat where the outermost agent lounged unconscious, a tranquilizer dart flowering his chest. Knowing that he'd been dosed, Levi gritted his teeth and he slammed his forehead into Moblit's nose, trying to stun him. The blond medic's gun clattered to the floor and he yelled in pain as blood poured from his nose and his eyes teared up.

"Pilot, set this bird down," ordered Levi, into his mic, struggling to speak clearly now that his tongue was feeling like lead in his mouth. His vision was darkening around the edges. "We've got a mole back here!"

* * *

"Shit… _shit_!"

Eren fumbled desperately with his seat belt, trying to get up and go to his lover's aid as Levi grappled with the man who was once counted amongst the most reliable of scouts…a man that used to work closely with Hange herself as her assistant. He couldn't understand why Moblit would do this, but the situation didn't allow for much pondering on his actions. It was clear enough that Moblit was working with the enemy, and he'd shot Levi and the other two UFI agents accompanying them with tranqs. It didn't surprise Eren that Levi was still going like a dynamo, but he could tell that the captain's movements were becoming uncoordinated, and Moblit was starting to get the upper hand.

"Shoot him," snapped Levi with a grunt, struggling to keep Moblit from retrieving his weapon.

Eren gave up on trying to get his seatbelt undone, instead reaching for the gun Levi had given him. He freed it from its holster and he hesitated, staring at Moblit's straining, bloody face with wide eyes. The world felt upside-down for him. People that used to be his enemies like Reiner were on his side. Annie was too, in her way. Now he was facing the opposite of that, face-to-face with a man that used to work so diligently with Hange to benefit the Scouting Legion and humanity.

"Damn it, Eren," groaned Levi, "just shoot the bastard! Forget who he used to be!"

Eren compressed his lips, hardening his resolve. Levi was right; this was a matter of survival, and Moblit had chosen the wrong side. Intending to aim to wound, Eren lined up the barrel of his pistol and he waited for an opening. As though he sensed the need to get clear, Levi threw himself aside with what remained of his strength, leaving Moblit wide open for Eren to fire upon.

At that moment, the door to the cockpit banged open and Eren glanced up to see the pilot standing there, aiming a gun directly at him. The firearm was similar to the one that Moblit was now scrambling for. Time seemed to slow down for Eren, and the rush of panic he felt swiftly changed into something else when his gaze shot to Levi, lying on the floor of the cabin, unmoving. Dark feelings welled up within Eren, an old, familiar rage that he hadn't felt since his past life. Both the pilot and Moblit were taking aim at him when he snapped his safety belt and raised his left hand to his snarling mouth.

Eren bit down on the meaty part of his hand below his thumb, just as both tranquilizer pistols went off. His own blood flowed into his mouth, but he didn't feel that spike of adrenaline and power that he once did when savaging himself this way. Instead there was only pain, followed by the piercing stings of the darts. One landed in his chest from the pilot's shot, and the other fired by Moblit hit him in the left side. Eren's eyes lit up from within, going from green to pure gold as he glared at the pilot. For a brief moment, the man's face screwed up with some inner struggle. The hand holding his weapon trembled, and he started to take aim at Moblit with the gun.

There was a ringing in Eren's ears, and his vision rapidly blurred and started going white. He saw the floor rushing up at him, and that was the last thing he witnessed before everything went dark.

* * *

"Hey, you okay?" Moblit regarded his companion warily as the other covert agent seemed to shake himself out of a daze. He kept his weapon ready, knowing he had two more dart rounds available in the chamber if he needed to use them. It didn't make sense to him that Freeman would shoot their target and then act as though he were going to turn on Moblit and shoot him too.

"Yeah," answered Freeman after a moment, lowering his gun and rubbing his forehead with his free hand. "I guess I just got a little disoriented during all of the action. How about you?"

Moblit looked around at the vanquished UFI agents and the young man that he and Freeman had taken such a gamble to procure. He wiped at his bloody nose and he holstered his firearm. "A little dizzy, but otherwise fine. They're down, now. I'd best get them all restrained while they're out."

The pilot nodded, scratching his dark brown hair under his communication headset. "Yeah. I'll get back to the stick and make sure the auto-pilot hasn't taken us off course. We should just terminate the agents and let the research staff deal with the bodies after we arrive."

Moblit looked down at Levi's unconscious form, amazed that the man had kept going even after being shot with the potent tranquilizer. The other two agents succumbed to the drug almost immediately, and he cursed himself for not thinking to shoot Ackerman first while the man was still dozing and vulnerable. He'd just seemed so deeply asleep that Moblit reckoned he could take care of the other two first and then deal with Levi. He should have known better, given the information he'd gathered about the man.

"Hey, you listening?" pressed Freeman. "We've got to take care of this now."

Moblit gave Levi one last, considering look, and he shook his head. "We were ordered to procure Mr. Jaeger by any means necessary, but our opposition is out cold and no longer a threat. I'm not going to kill these men if there's no need for it. I'll strip them of their weapons and gear, and we can take a quick detour to dump them somewhere away from our trajectory and far out of city limits."

"You sure about that?" The pilot frowned down at Levi's pale, unmoving form. "This guy came close to taking you out even after you tranq'd him."

"I know." Moblit again looked at Levi with a touch of awe. "Who'd have thought such a little guy could have such a tolerance?"

There was something nagging at the edge of his conscience…something that made him feel like he should be remembering something like turning the lights out before leaving his apartment, or turning the stove off. Moblit got the distinct feeling that he was forgetting something rather important, but he had no clue what that could be. He got the same feeling when looking at Jaeger.

"Ackerman's dangerous," urged Freeman. "We shouldn't leave it to chance. If we leave him alive, he'll probably make it back to his people and tell them everything…if the stubborn bastard doesn't track us down himself."

"By the time he and his companions wake up," insisted Moblit, "we'll have already made it to the compound with our subject. The UFI doesn't know where our main research facility is, and they don't have enough pull or proof to get government sanction to openly strike at us. Killing these men while they're helpless would just be flat-out murder, and I didn't sign on for that. No, we'll dump them somewhere out of the way. Whether they die in the wilderness or make it back to Trost isn't our concern."

The other man sighed. "All right, it's your call. I don't think our superiors are going to like it, but I don't want to just murder helpless men either."

Moblit insisted one last time, and there were no further arguments. He kept his concern over both Jaeger and Ackerman somehow knowing his real name to himself. If they knew his real identity, then they must have found him out prior to this. If that were the case, however, why would the agency accept his offer to accompany them on their trip? Why wasn't he in the brig? He felt like there was something else going on in the background, and he knew in his heart that if he killed Levi, there would be more hell to pay than anyone could guess.

* * *

"They finally bagged him!"

Hange looked up from the microscope she was studying, and she blinked at the young scientist working on her team that had blurted the announcement. "Hmm?"

"Jaeger," enthused the man with the close-cropped auburn hair. He grinned with excitement, and he patted Hange on the shoulder. "Looks like the Coordinate Project is going to be a-go after all! I just heard they're bringing the subject in now!"

Hange hid her dismay well. "You're shitting me. I thought he was with a specialized UFI agent that's really good."

The other scientist shrugged, grinning smugly. "He must not be _that_ good. A couple of our covert agents got themselves assigned to the team that was supposed to take our subject to some super secret naval base, and they took out his bodyguard _and_ the two other UFI agents with them."

"'Took out' as in killed?" pressed Hange, brows furrowing. She couldn't imagine Levi getting eliminated so easily.

"I don't know," admitted the young man. "Probably."

Hange smirked, but there was a coldness in her gut. It couldn't be. It just _couldn't_. "Well, let's not get too excited over rumors."

"It's not a rumor," insisted the man. "I heard some of the guards talking about it, and they've been in contact with the field agents sent on this mission."

Hange wanted to twist the boy's head off and shout at him that they were absolutely mistaken, that Levi Ackerman wasn't a man that could be taken down that easily. He'd managed to shake or annihilate every one of the agents that the BRS had sent after Eren so far, after all, and she knew him from a life where he made a living out of taking out creatures that could tower like skyscrapers.

The intercom came on at that moment with the crackle of static, and Rod Reiss' voice came through over the system. "Doctor Zoë, report to the specimen containment wing immediately."

A sinking feeling grew within Hange, and she got up from her chair and excused herself. She left the micro analyzing chamber without another word to any of her associates and she quickly made her way to the appointed sector. She nearly halted in her tracks when she got there and she saw Eren being wheeled in, strapped securely from head to foot on a gurney and apparently unconscious. The sight of the man speaking with Reiss gave her further pause, and she nearly tripped over her own two feet.

 _~Moblit? What in the hell? He's working for them too?~_

Hange stifled her dismay and surprise, clearing her throat politely as she approached to make the boss and the others aware of her presence. Rod turned, and she schooled herself to meet his eyes without giving away her familiarity with him from their previous lives. His blue eyes were calculating on her, always seeming to test her. She was very much aware that he had retained his memories somehow, and he knew who she was. What he _didn't_ know yet was that she also recalled their past lives. So far, he seemed convinced that she had no recollection of that other life and was loyal to his cause. After all, others from that time weren't filling out the same roles of character that they once did.

"So, here he is," she said brightly as she stepped up to observe Eren and check his vitals. "I hope he wasn't damaged in the process of getting him here."

"He's stable," Moblit assured her. "We had to give him a double dose, so we'll keep an eye on him until he wakes up. I don't think it was enough to cause serious harm, though."

The blond man stuck out his hand. "I'm Chad Gains, ma'am. Nice to finally meet you in person. They've told me a lot about you and the work you've been doing here since joining, and I'm looking forward to assisting you when you start this project."

Hange took his hand in a stronger grip than intended, inwardly wanting to crush it. "I haven't heard a thing about you. Pleasure to meet you, Chad. So tell me, how did you manage to wrest our boy here away from his guardians?"

Moblit smiled. "I was just about to tell Mr. Reiss about that. I shot them all with tranqs. The first two agents went down easily, but the one assigned as Mr. Jaeger's bodyguard put up more of a fight than I expected. He came at me even after I dosed him and that stuff usually works almost instantaneously."

Hange resisted a smirk. Of course it would take more than one tranquilizer to stop Levi. "I see. I hope you weren't injured." She wanted to ask what he did with the UFI agents he'd vanquished, but she didn't want to seem too eager in front of Reiss.

Moblit shrugged. "He bloodied my nose and he damned near fractured my wrist before he went down, but nothing serious."

"I trust you disposed of the bodies, since I don't see them being wheeled in here?" Reiss pressed.

Hange swallowed, feeling her heart plummet again.

"Sir, we weren't given orders to kill. We were told to collect Jaeger by whatever means necessary and seeing as his guards weren't a threat once tranquilized, I didn't see the need to finish them off. We stripped them of their gear and dropped them off in the wilderness before continuing on here."

Rod's eyes widened in his round face. "You didn't _kill_ them? Do you have any idea how dangerous that man Ackerman is? He should have been disposed of completely!"

Moblit tensed a bit, but he didn't cringe beneath the department head's ranting. "I made a judgment call, Mr. Reiss. I've succeeded in my mission, so there's no reason for me to attempt to go back to the UFI as a plant. It doesn't matter if he makes it back with my description or the pilot's."

Rod sighed and he ran his fingers through his thinning dark hair. "That was a mistake on your part. I want the location of where you dropped Ackerman and the other two agents off, and I want people sent to search for them. Maybe we can salvage this."

He turned to Hange, who was doing her best to hide her relief and excitement. "In the meantime, we'll have Eren Jaeger taken to the top security observation cells and placed in the special one I've assigned just for him. We can't afford to take any chances with losing control of this subject. Dr. Zoë, please come with me."

Hange nodded, her heart beating rapidly. Her face showed none of her inner elation to hear that Levi was still alive, and what excitement she couldn't wipe from her expression could easily be blamed on her eagerness to start on the big project. She walked with Reiss to one of the restricted lifts, and he pressed his thumb against a panel set in the wall by the door.

"Your print scan will be entered into the security database for this sector by tomorrow," he explained to her as the door slid open and they stepped inside. "I can't very well have you heading our Coordinate project if you don't have full disclosure of the mother project itself."

"Do you mean the Titan project?" Hange blinked, honestly surprised that he was giving her that sort of clearance. She smirked at him. "Are you sure I can be trusted?"

Rod looked at her sidelong as he selected the button for the lowest underground floor. "All of your polygraph tests have had nearly flawless results. You've managed to get more done here than any other scientist in our ranks, in such a short time. I'm convinced that you would be an invaluable asset to the Titan and Coordinate projects. The question lies in how far you're willing to go."

"For science?" Hange quirked a brow. "You would be surprised, sir."

"Good answer," approved Rod. The lift began to descend slowly, and he spoke in a casual tone next…but there was a hint of anticipation underneath that wasn't lost on her. "You know doctor, I can't help but feel like we've met somewhere before now." He looked at her dead-on, his blue gaze opaque. "Do you get that feeling as well?"

Hange made a show of considering it for a moment, sensing that he was testing her again and possibly laying a trap. "No, I'm afraid you're alone in that, Mr. Reiss. Unless we happened to go to the same school as kids, I don't think we've ever met before. If we did and I just don't remember you, I apologize. Childhood was a long time ago."

"No, we didn't attend any of the same schools in our youth." He waved it off. "It must be just my imagination."

"Well, sometimes people run into other people that remind them of someone else they used to know," she reasoned with a shrug. "It's happened to me before. From what I understand it's a fairly normal thing."

"I suppose so," he agreed pleasantly, and his intensity faded. "Ah, here we are. I think you're going to be astounded when these doors open and you feast your eyes on our progress so far, Dr. Zoë."

The doors slid open, and Rod gestured for her to step out first. As soon as Hange did, she looked around and all of her fears were laid bare and solid before her. The doctor's mahogany eyes widened behind the lenses of her glasses as she looked up…and up…at the first gigantic, clear tank and its contents.

"Oh my," she breathed, and she hoped the dread she felt translated into simple amazement in her tone. "You did it. You really did it. The project name isn't just a metaphor."

"Yes we did, and no, it isn't simply a metaphor." Reiss was smiling in a half-prideful, half fiendish way. "What you're bearing witness to is the start of the most expensive and powerful biological weapon project of our time, doctor. In order to put it to our full advantage, however, we need Jaeger and the unique ability he harbors within him. My plans are to attempt to duplicate the coordinate with other subjects we've got in holding. They're all going through a…process…to ensure their loyalty to the BRS. Once properly trained and imbued with the coordinate ability, they can act as commanders to these creatures, directing them under our orders. Foreign enemies won't have a chance against such creatures, even with modern weaponry at their disposal."

"I can see that," breathed Hange. "So, you've made a legend into reality. That's quite impressive, Mr. Reiss." She tore her eyes off the rows of specimen tanks lining the tracks of the huge, cavernous basement sector. "May I asked how you managed this?"

"Human subjects," he answered readily. "Criminals and treasonous betrayers to our government, mostly. Murderers, rapists, child molesters, gang members and the like. They'll best serve our nation this way, rather than rot in prison or be put to death, don't you think?"

Though she felt sick to her stomach, Hange calmly nodded in acknowledgement. "Oh, without a doubt. A fitting punishment for human scum, to be doomed to these forms and forced to serve the population they once threatened. It's brilliant."

Reiss smiled proudly. "I'm glad to see we're on the same page, doctor. Have you any further questions?"

Hange knew that she had to step very carefully now, and not ask too many detailed questions else he might suspect her. "How strong are those tanks? Is there any risk of them breaking free of them and getting out?"

"That risk has been taken into consideration," assured Rod, "and each of the tanks are constructed of the strongest shatterproof glass available. In addition as you can see, the subjects have been kept in a comatose state of hibernation until we are ready to begin full testing with the coordinate. It's perfectly controlled, I assure you."

"I'll ask about the process later," Hange decided. "My head is reeling right now from the awesomness of this. I suppose my only other question right now is whether you intend to do this to Eren."

"Not unless absolutely necessary," responded Reiss. "Employing the transformation process on Subject Jaeger would be detrimental to our goals, as it would make it much more difficult to awaken his ability and test it. Keeping him in his human form is ideal for our purposes; at least for now. If we find we can't awaken his latent ability without injection of titan cells, then we may have to eventually turn him."

Rod sighed. "If only we could bring in his associates or family…particularly Mikasa Ackerman. I would have preferred for Levi Ackerman to be brought in alive as well, if not killed."

"Hmm, and why is that, sir?" Hange had a sneaking suspicion that she already knew, but assuming anything out loud might give away that she knew more than she wanted Reiss or the BRS to know about.

"It's rather complicated," explained Reiss. "You see, both Mikasa and Agent Levi are from a bloodline with interesting and unique properties of their own. Those of their lineage may possibly be the only humans alive that could resist being influenced by any form of mind control or brain washing. It would be a boon to our research if we could study their brains and find out what exactly gives them this immunity. If we could formulate a treatment out of it, we could use it on our own people to ensure that none of the agents we intend to transfer the coordinate to will be able to use it against us…though their conditioning should prevent that in the first place. Better to be safe than sorry though, yes?"

"Absolutely." Hange again felt sick. It was even worse than she thought. Maybe Reiss didn't care if Levi was killed because he knew how deadly the man was, but it sounded like he would be just as happy to capture him and Mikasa for further experimentation of another sort. She hadn't considered the possibility that they were subjects of interest to the BRS, but it made sense. Hange was already taking mental notes on all of this, so that she could inform Erwin at her earliest convenience and warn him.

"Well, I've given you the tour and you know the process you'll be expected to supervise and employ during this project. Your familiarity with Subject Jaeger will be a valuable asset to us, I think. He may be more willing to cooperate with you than with any other researchers."

"Or he'll just want to rip my head off for betraying him," guessed Hange with a dry smirk. "But I thank you for putting me on this project. It's for the greater good, but I'm fond of Eren and I'd like to see to it that the boy doesn't suffer more than necessary."

"Of course." Rod checked his watch. "Well, I have a plane to catch. I have business to discuss with my team at one of the Intel branches. I'll check in on your progress in a few days, Dr. Zoë. Shall we?"

Having no other choice, Hange nodded. "Let's."

* * *

Levi awoke to hear the groans of his companions a few feet away. His wrists and ankles were cuffed, and he was barefoot. He lifted his head off the grass and he shook it to clear it, grunting with discomfort over having his arms bound behind his back. He rolled over to face the sounds of complaint coming from the two other agents, and he found them both restrained in a similar manner.

"Hey," he said hoarsely, nudging the closest guy in the knee with both feet. "You with me? Snap out of it."

"W-where are we?" mumbled the ponytail-wearing brunet with a bleary look around. "How th' hell did we…get here?"

"My guess is those fucking traitors in the chopper put us down and then dumped us out in the middle of nowhere," answered Levi. "Might have been kinder to just kill us."

"My phone," groaned the other agent; the blond guy with the crew cut. "Can either of you reach it? It was in my back pocket."

"Forget it," Levi grunted. "They wouldn't have left us with any form of communication."

"They might have missed something," insisted the guy with the ponytail.

Levi sighed, and he squirmed onto his back and curled up in a fetal position, tucking his legs in as close to his chest as he could. He lifted his hips to slide his bound wrists under them, and with a lot of grunting, swearing and sweating, he was able to slip his feet through and bring his cuffed hands to the front. Panting with his effort, he looked around in thought. "I need something I can use as a tool to pick these locks."

"Uh, I don't think there's much around here to use," commented the blond agent. "Unless you can do it with twigs or rocks, sir."

Levi compressed his lips, and he looked instead at their clothing articles. "Your agency pins," he said with a nod at both of their blazers. Those will have to do. At least the shit-faced scums didn't strip us naked before they dumped us here."

He squirmed over to the first agent agilely, and he undid the clasp on the pin decorating the man's blazer. Levi was a little surprised that they'd been left with those, but perhaps some part of Moblit wanted them to get found by their agency and identified, alive or dead. He didn't question it, as there was no guarantee he'd be able to pick the locks of their cuffs with a couple of pin needles. Once he had both of them, he set them down in the grass and he rolled onto his back again.

"Need my hands free to maneuver," he explained shortly to his curious associates. He bent his right leg and he pressed his foot between the cuffs on his wrists, pushing with it while twisting and manipulating his hands, touching his pinky fingers and thumbs together to shrink the width of his knuckles and make it easier.

"Shit, I need something slippery," Levi decided after a few moments. His skin was getting scraped raw and he only had the left cuff partly dislodged. He grimaced in disgust at one of the options that came to him, and he chose to try others first.

"Guys, I don't suppose you see any aloe vera plants lying around here, do you?"

Both agents twisted and squirmed to look around. "Sorry boss, I don't think they grow in these parts," sighed the brunet at last.

"What about mud?" pressed Levi, leaving his other idea as a last resort.

"It hasn't rained here lately," answered the blond.

Levi sighed, his lip curling as he resigned himself to the only other option. "Fine. Get your asses over here and spit on me."

The other two agents looked at each other. "Sir?"

Levi gave them both an exasperated look. "Saliva works as a natural lubricant if you use enough of it. It'll have to do." He grunted and he pulled his foot out from between his ankles, getting back into a sitting position. "All right, get over here and start spitting on my wrists. I'll do it too."

"My mouth is so dry I don't think I can work up the saliva for it," complained the brunet.

"Then think of eating a goddamned lemon and get the juices flowing," snapped Levi. He grimaced again as he started working up a loogie. He was the first to spit a glob of it on his wrist and he braced himself as the blond agent squirmed over to him and did the same. Eventually the guy with the brown ponytail managed a donation of his saliva too, and Levi almost felt amusement at the thought of what they must look like, huddled in the woods spitting all over his wrists together.

* * *

After the disgusting event of coating Levi's wrists with enough saliva to allow him to work his hands through the cuffs, it took nearly an hour for him to pick the locks on all of their restraints. They each checked through their clothes and found that everything had been taken from them, save the clothes themselves. They had no weapons, no electronic devices and no idea of where they were.

"Why the hell did they have to take our _shoes_?" whined the blond as they gingerly passed through the woods with Levi in the lead. The SAC had found a small, fallen branch that he was using to push aside vegetation to make the walk easier for them.

"Probably because they thought we might have something useful stashed in them," reasoned Levi with a grunt, "which is a smart call to make, I've gotta admit. I've got spring-loaded blades in the soles of mine. They obviously didn't want us to make it back to Trost too fast."

"Why not just kill us, then?" wondered the guy with the ponytail. "Or keep us as hostages? We'll probably starve to death before we make it to a road anyway."

"Nah, we'll die of dehydration before that happens," muttered Levi casually. He stopped and he looked up at one of the branchy trees overhead. "Quit whining like a bitch and be glad we're not dead. Hold my stick; I'm going to climb this thing and see if I can get a lay of the land. Maybe I can spot a landmark or something from up there."

The blond took the stick, and Levi looked at the brunet. "You…uh…Parker, right?"

The guy nodded.

"Hook your hands together and give me a boost."

The man dutifully knelt to do as he was advised, and Levi used his cupped hands as leverage to hop up onto the lowest branch. He climbed nimbly to the top as his companions watched from below, trying not to agonize over the fact that he'd failed his lover. Eren was in BRS custody now, and god knew what sort of things they could be doing to him while Levi was helpless in the woods. With a lot of cursing and grunting, he made it to the top of the canopy, his hair mussed and tangled with leaves and twigs. Levi shielded his eyes with one hand and he surveyed the landscape. He honed in on an object in the distance, and he narrowed his eyes. It was the only landmark he saw that gave him hope, so he climbed back down and he hopped to the ground. Brushing his hands off on his pants, he regarded his taller companions.

"There's a windmill off that way—" he pointed over his right shoulder with his thumb. "Where there's a windmill, there could be a farm or something and where there's a farm, there's bound to be a road. If we find it abandoned, we can still follow the road and someone's bound to come along eventually. We'll have to try and hitchhike."

The two other agents glanced at each other sidelong, and Parker spoke up again. "Do you really think someone would give us a ride in our condition?"

"We've still got your UFI pins," reminded Levi, "and we can give them our alias' and the office number if they want to check things. Just about everyone carries a mobile phone these days, so I doubt anyone we run into won't have the ability to make a call. Now let's get moving. Time's wasting and they've got Eren Jaeger now."

* * *

-To be continued


	21. Chapter 21

When Erwin got the call from an anonymous civilian asking about three of his agents—including Levi—he knew shit had hit the fan in a bad way. He confirmed to the woman that they were indeed members of the UFI and he offered her cash compensation for her trouble if she would be so kind as to bring them in. She let him speak with Levi briefly on her phone and he got a brief summary of what had gone wrong. He sighed, angry with himself for failing to expose the two moles and frustrated that he'd basically delivered Eren right into BRS hands by assigning the traitors to the transport.

He felt even worse when Levi arrived with his companions at headquarters. Bruised, disheveled, dirty and shoeless, the three men looked like they'd been put on some survival reality show. He supposed that wasn't far from the truth, once they sat down and explained the details of their ordeal to him.

"Moblit?" Repeated Erwin when Levi gave him the name of the medic responsible for dosing all three of them with a tranquilizer gun.

Mike was present for the debriefing, and he frowned at Erwin when he detected the recognition in his tone. "You know the guy? Hard to believe you didn't see this coming, if so."

Erwin exchanged a look with Levi. "I used to know him, but it's been a long time. I haven't had the opportunity to re-acquaint myself with him since he transferred here. Honestly, I didn't even know he was in our ranks, considering he was going under an alias."

"And you didn't think to look into it when he transferred?" pressed Mike.

"Back off," warned Levi lowly. "He was recommended by Dot Pixis, and the chief here had no reason to question it. The fucker must be good to get past Pixis and into our ranks, so this one's not on Erwin."

Erwin sighed. "Actually, Mike is correct. It _is_ on me. I should have taken into account that the enemy could fool trusted colleagues as well. I should have had both men screened before assigning them. Now Jaeger is in their custody and the three of you could have been killed. I am responsible for this."

Levi shook his head, gazing at Erwin with a look in his eyes that the commander had never seen before. There was such raw frustration, and despair. "You aren't to blame, sir. I failed him," stated Levi flatly. "I failed Eren."

Erwin felt his midsection tighten, along with his chest. He did not like seeing Levi look this way, and he liked even less the defeat in his voice. "Gentlemen, please give Agent Ackerman and I a moment alone. You too, Zacharius."

Mike nodded wordlessly, and the other two agents mumbled compliance and left with him. Once the door was shut and they were alone together, Erwin regarded Levi with studious cerulean eyes. "Captain Levi, defeated," he murmured. He shook his head. "No. That simply isn't possible."

Levi made an annoyed sound and he squirmed a bit in his seat, averting his gaze. "Isn't it? They got him, chief. Despite all my efforts, those twisted bastards have him. Sounds like defeat to me."

Erwin leaned over his desk, and he laid a big hand over the one Levi had clenched into a fist on the other side of the surface. "That doesn't mean defeat or failure, Levi. Jaeger is still alive. They will want to _keep_ him that way to conduct their plans for him. We will fix this situation, somehow. You haven't failed him until he's dead."

"Hah…and how much of him do you think will be left, by the time we get him out of their hands?" demanded the younger man bitterly. "According to the info Hange's given us so far, they might rob him of his humanity. He's going to end up going through it all again, and that's something I wanted to fucking avoid, this time."

Understanding that Levi meant Eren's struggle with his titan abilities in the past, Erwin lowered his gaze. True, being experimented on for the projects the BRS wanted him for might mean the boy could end up as a shifter again, but Erwin couldn't accept the soul-crushing hopelessness in Levi's shadowed gaze.

"No," he said firmly, squeezing Levi's hand. "We are not going to stand idle while this happens. I'll inform Shadis of what's happened here so that he knows not to expect you and Jaeger until we retrieve him. I'll ensure that only agents I know and trust well accompany the band and Eren's mother to the Maelstrom. In fact, I shall fly them myself with Mike as my copilot and cabin guard. We aren't going to allow these people to get their hands on any more of their targets."

"Kudos for stepping up, boss," Levi said, sounding slightly less morose. "I appreciate you're taking a direct hand in getting the rest of them to safety. I want to organize a strike team to go in and get Eren while you're doing that. Nothing big…just a stealth squad to get in, collect Jaeger and get out again. I know those fuckers on the government council aren't going to let us conduct a full-fledged sting operation against this compound with what we've got on them alone."

"I'll see what I can do," promised Erwin, "but Levi, I can't even authorize a stealth operation to invade their facility without following protocol. Try to be patient, and don't do anything rash. I'm going to get on this immediately and pull every string I have, all right? In the meantime, you should get rested up and prepare your ODM gear for when we get the nod. Choose the team you would want to join you, should I get the green light."

"No need to even consider it," answered Levi. "I want Eld and Petra."

Erwin frowned a bit. "That's a rather small team to take into such dangerous territory, outnumbered as you'll be."

Levi shrugged. "The smaller our numbers, the easier it will be to keep dark and avoid detection. This won't be about going in hacking, slashing and shooting…much as I'd like to cut a bitch or three into vivisection-sized pieces for Hange to play with. I'm talking minimal casualties and sabotage. Ral has the tech know-how to short out some of their systems. Eld's got fast instincts and a good ear. You already know what I bring to the table. I'm talking about the fastest of us snatching Eren back before the BRS knows we were even there."

Erwin sighed. "Yes, I recall how impressive your old team was in the field, and I've no doubt those qualities have translated into this life. You've picked a good team. Pity we haven't found the other two yet."

Levi nodded. "Gunther and Oluo would have been an invaluable addition. You know, I've searched for them in databases and so far I haven't come up with jack shit."

"It's possible that they weren't reborn, or that they go by completely different names," reasoned Erwin. "Regardless, I don't like the thought of you going in with only two people at your back."

Levi met his gaze dead on, his gray eyes intense. "Do this for me, Erwin. Make it happen."

Erwin stared at him for a long moment, seeing the anguish that Levi was trying to hide in his eyes. "You really do love him, don't you? I've never seen you this way before."

Levi shrugged and looked away. "You weren't conscious to see it when they brought you in with your arm bitten off. This isn't the first time."

Erwin felt flattered, though he knew he shouldn't take any pleasure out of the knowledge that he'd once made Levi look that way. Forcing his mind back to business, he released Levi's hand and he schooled his expression into one of confident authority. "I'll get started on this right now, Levi. Go and rest; there's nothing more you can do at this time."

Erwin met his eyes, and he smirked humorlessly. "If it makes you feel any better, you aren't the only one that fucked up. I assigned an undercover BRS pilot to take you to a location that was meant to remain top-secret. Now they know the coordinates of the Maelstrom base, and I'm going to have to explain that to Shadis. I've a feeling he won't take it very well."

Levi visibly winced. "Ah, good luck with that hard-ass, sir."

* * *

"What do you mean, 'they got him'?" demanded Armin later that evening after he and the others arrived at the Trost branch headquarters. Levi looked quite tired, but Armin wanted answers and he could see by the grim expression on Mikasa's face that she wouldn't let it go until she got some answers as well. "How did they manage to get him with _you_ guarding him, sir?"

Levi glared at him. "The same way a titan bit my fucking leg off in our past life, you book-loving nerd…a moment of bad luck. They got past our guard. What's worse is that it was Moblit. It shocked me enough to make me hesitate."

"Moblit?" repeated Connie with dismay. "What's he doing working with the _bad_ guys?"

Levi shot an ironic look at Reiner. "The same thing this clown is doing working with you, I imagine. He used to be one of our greatest enemies, yet here he is trying to protect your ass. Eren told me about your account of when they busted in on your practice session and Braun here helped you fight them off."

"It's true." Mikasa nodded shortly. "We can't really expect for everyone from that previous life to follow the same dictates they once did."

"Hmph. Hange's probably pissed enough to spit fire," predicted Jean, folding his arms over his chest. "That is if she's found out her old assistant helped kidnap Eren. Have you heard anything from her yet, Captain?"

Levi shook his head. "Not since this happened, no. She doesn't often get the chance to check in with us. She's got to be really careful not to blow her cover, so she uses a separate phone she keeps hidden at her place to call us whenever she has any intel to give us."

"Makes sense." Reiner nodded. "I'm still totally confused about what's going on, but lately I've started having these…er…flashbacks, I guess."

"Me too," agreed Sasha. "I really wish I could remember more. I've started having more dreams since meeting up with these guys."

"Same thing happened with Eren." Levi scratched his chin with a frown. "I guess being around all of your old comrades triggers a little recall in everyone. You'd probably have to drink one of Hange's shitty tonics to get it all back, though."

"Ugh, I wouldn't wish that on anyone," protested Connie when Sasha looked intrigued. He caught hold of her hands and he shook his head. "Trust me, some things are best left forgotten. I don't want to see you go through what we did."

"But if it could answer some of my questions, I would be willing." Sasha returned the pressure of his hands on hers. "I can't stand having these vague nightmares all the time and not knowing if they're full memories or just my mind piecing together a scenario from fragments of the past. Do…do you guys have any of that special tonic left?"

"No," answered Levi for them before any of the others could respond. "You have to take the full dose, and right now getting your memories back is the least of our concerns. We've got to get you kids to the Maelstrom. They've already transported Eren's mother there and Erwin himself is going to be flying you guys."

"No."

Levi narrowed his eyes at Mikasa. "Excuse me, Ackerman?" It felt a little odd to call her by the surname they shared, even now.

"I said 'no'," she reiterated calmly, her fair face the very picture of calm. Her eyes, however, were stormy with anger. "I'm not leaving Trost while Eren is somewhere in captivity around here. I won't go without him. The others can leave if they want, but I'm staying until Eren is safely back in UFI hands."

Levi stared at her. "You realize you brats would be much safer at that base than here, don't you?"

"Sir, you said yourself that the location of this 'Maelstrom' base is now compromised," reasoned Armin. "If that's the case, then logically we would be in danger there as well."

"It would take a shit-ton of military might for the BRS to overpower that base," Levi explained with as much patience as he could afford. "The damned place is underwater and its defenses are stronger than any base I've ever seen. I doubt the BRS has the means to wage a full-fledged attack on it, and even if they did, doing so would expose them for the corrupted shits they are. They'd lose government sanction. Even if they could manage to sneak some of their agents in there, security's tighter than Erwin Smith's asshole and they'd have a hell of a time abducting any of you. You're safer there."

Sasha covered her mouth on a giggle at Levi's comment about Erwin's asshole, and she cleared her throat when he glanced at her. "Sorry. I don't even know who Erwin Smith is. It just struck me as funny, sir."

"Yeah, I'm a laugh riot," sighed Levi. "Look, this branch is obviously compromised and if the enemy manages to get their hands on even _one_ of you, it's just going to make things harder on Jaeger. Do me a favor and cooperate."

"Sorry Captain, but I've made my decision," proclaimed Mikasa stubbornly. "I'm not leaving this location until we have Eren back."

"Well if she's staying, I'm staying," muttered Jean. "I'm not leaving my girl behind."

"I'm staying too," Armin declared, his thick blond brows lowered over his bright blue eyes with determination. "Eren is my friend and our front man, and I'd be a very poor friend if I ran away now when he's in such danger. Maybe we could even assist."

"How?" pressed Levi. "What the hell are you gonna do, bore the enemy to death with one of your long speeches?"

"Okay, that was just mean," complained Armin. He smirked a little. "But it's you, so I shouldn't take it personally. Captain, I managed to hack the internet and find out that Miss Hange was joining the BRS before she even told me. I'm sure I could be of some use, if you would just give me a chance. As for Mikasa…well, I feel sorry for anyone that tries to kidnap any of us while she's around."

Levi had to admit, the weirdo had a point. He glanced at Connie. "What about you, Springer? Are you going to be an idiot too, or will you go to the base as planned?"

Connie looked at his friends, and then he looked up at Sasha. The kid had it bad, Levi could tell. "I…I…" the drummer sighed and lowered his gaze. "I'm staying too. This is my crew, and I'm not leaving them. Sasha, you and Reiner should go."

"I'm not going anywhere without you," insisted Sasha, squeezing his hands again. She bit her lower lip. "I may not have my memories like you guys, but I feel really close to all of you. If I can help even a little, I want to stay."

While Connie smiled at her, Reiner spoke up. "Guess I'm staying too."

Armin frowned up at the muscular blond. "Are you sure?"

Reiner shrugged his broad shoulders. "Yeah. I'm your bodyguard now. You said yourself that before I turned on you, I watched over you. I feel kind of protective, and you've gotta admit I throw a mean swing."

"Pfft, you've got a funny way of showing loyalty," Connie pointed out with a scowl.

"Hey, I'm not that guy now," protested Reiner. "I don't remember any of this shit. All I know is I've been a roadie with your band for over a year now, and I think I fucking proved myself when those assholes tried to nab you all."

"Much as I hate to admit it, the giant pectoral muscle makes a good point," Levi pointed out ruefully. "Nobody's exactly as they were. Leonhart is apparently Hange's most trusted underling now. Braun probably saved all your asses by realizing you were under attack before the enemy closed in on you and fighting at your sides. Like I said before; Moblit is with the BRS. We can't make assumptions about anyone we used to know."

Armin nodded in agreement. "Reiner's been invaluable to us. I trust him. Connie, we've got to just let it go. Eren's life is at stake."

Levi silently swore to himself as each and every one of them put on determined faces. "You stubborn assholes."

* * *

"All of them?" Erwin asked once Levi reported back to him about the band's decision. It was late at night; well past ten o'clock. "Even Reiner?"

"Yeah." The black-haired agent grunted, and he crossed his legs and folded his arms over his chest. "Every single one of the brats wants to stay and stick it out here."

Erwin got up from his seat, and he paced back and forth behind his desk. "Fools."

"I know, right?" Levi propped his booted feet on Erwin's desk and he leaned back in his chair, stretching. "Stubborn little shits."

Erwin turned, and he raised a meaningful brow at the soles of his subordinate's shoes. "Levi."

Levi grumbled, and he dropped his feet off Erwin's desk. "So what do you want to do, boss? Cuff 'em all and round them up, kicking and screaming?"

"The thought does cross my mind," admitted Erwin. He turned to face Levi fully. "What are your feelings on the matter?"

"How I feel about it doesn't make much of a difference, right?" Levi combed his fingers through his dark hair with a sigh. "You're the man in charge. If you order me to subdue these little assholes and drag them into your chopper, I'll do it. Arlert did make a good point, though: He's got the tech smarts to hack into systems. He might prove useful. Mikasa's as good a fighter as I am, and she's not going to let anyone shady come within ten feet of her friends. Reiner's got their back too, and before you look at me like that, I'm going to remind you that fucking Moblit was the bastard that put me and the other agents down in order to take Eren."

"That's true," mused Erwin, his frown fading as he thought on it. "Disappointing to say the least, but I doubt Moblit would be doing this if he had access to his memories of our past lives. Levi, while I'm in charge overall here, in this matter I feel I should defer to you in this matter. I already know what you want me to do concerning Jaeger and I am working on that, but what is your recommendation when it comes to his friends?"

Levi sighed. "I think the bookworm could prove useful. Hell, I'd almost be tempted to recruit his ass. Much as I'd like to send them all to the Maelstrom, they're a stubborn lot. I think it wouldn't be worth the effort to force the matter on them."

Erwin nodded. "I see. Then we'll keep them under strict guard and allow them to remain here. I've had enough trouble trying to explain the situation to Mrs. Jaeger. She wasn't pleased to learn that her son is in enemy hands."

"No shit." Levi smirked a little. "She's a pistol. I don't know if she's anything like Carla Jaeger was since I never met the woman, but this one's got spunk."

Erwin chuckled softly. "You like her, I take it."

Levi shrugged. "She's okay. Pretty open minded and she doesn't skimp on the cussing."

"Ah, then she must fit right in with you." Erwin sobered, and he met Levi's gaze. "I think I should tell you that I'm not just doing this out of duty, or strictly for you. Contrary to what you may think, I'm fond of Eren…even more so now that I've regained some of my former memories."

Levi looked up at him thoughtfully. "Yeah?"

Erwin nodded. "Yes. Perhaps I shouldn't be saying this to you, but after your passing, Eren and I had common grounds. That boy fought like nobody I've ever seen. Before I went down, my last sight was of Eren coming to try and save me. We were all that was left. He was like a force of nature, that kid. He practically decimated enemy ranks all on his own. I don't know how long he survived after I fell, but I imagine he took out quite a few enemies on his own."

Levi's mouth quirked a little, and he lowered his gaze. "Sounds about right."

"You trained him well," Erwin went on solemnly, "and he followed your orders to the end, Levi. I respect that. Part of me is insanely jealous over the bond you share, but please believe me when I say that I want him safe and out of enemy hands. He's earned my loyalty, and I will do whatever I must to see this through."

Levi raised his eyes and he stared up at him. He got out of his chair, and Erwin tensed unconsciously as the smaller man approached, holding his gaze. He half-expected Levi to kick him or hit him, so he was understandably surprised when the volatile, raven-haired agent stopped before him and reached up to cup the back of his head gently.

"Bend over, you fucking tree."

Erwin complied, and he felt a rush of warmth go through him when Levi kissed him softly on the forehead. He straightened up again as Levi cupped his face and gazed at him studiously.

"Thank you, creep. I trust you," whispered Levi.

Erwin checked a sigh. It really wasn't fair for Levi to be so damned endearing at a time like this. He wanted to put his arms around him and draw him close, but instead he took note of the dark circles lining the smaller man's eyes, and he pulled away to open one of the drawers on his desk.

"Here," he offered, retrieving a prescription bottle. He twisted the cap open as Levi watched, and he shook a couple of pills out into his open palm. "Take one of these."

Levi accepted the two pills, his thin brows furrowing. "What the hell is it?"

"It's for anxiety," explained the director, "and a sleep aid. I've had some insomnia problems since drinking Hange's elixir—"

"I fucking warned you not to do that," interrupted Levi harshly.

"Yes, you did." Erwin chuckled, and he folded Levi's fingers over the medication he'd just given him. "I have no regrets. At any rate, these were prescribed to me by my doctor to assist with my sleeplessness. Please trust me and try one tonight, Levi. I'm going to do all that I can to grant your mission approval, but you _must_ be well-rested. You are clearly exhausted, and I cannot in good conscience send you in on this rescue mission knowing you aren't at your best."

Levi stared at the pills in his palm when Erwin took his hand away. "You really are worried about this, aren't you?"

Erwin watched him silently for a moment, and then he reached out to trace the smaller man's sculpted features. Even as tired as Levi was, he was so damned cute. "I look after my own, and like I said before; that screaming little bastard grew on me. I consider him one of my own as well."

Levi made one of those adorable "heh" sounds of amusement, meeting his eyes. "'Screaming little bastard', eh? I think I've rubbed off on you a bit. Okay Erwin, I'll take one. Just do whatever needs to be done to get my mission sanctioned."

Erwin nodded. "It's a promise. Now please remove yourself from my office before I try to kiss you."

"Pfft, at least you're honest." Levi smirked at him, saluted and then left, tossing back one of the pills to dry-swallow it on his way.

* * *

"M-mom?" Eren groaned as the damp, cool cloth was wiped over his sweating brow.

"I wish I were, but that isn't the case."

Recognizing the voice of his doctor, Eren cracked his eyes open to look up at Hange. Her mouth was pressed into a grim line as she dabbed at his face, and she gazed down at him with regret plain on her handsome features. "How are you feeling, Eren?"

"Like shit," he informed her. He tried to rise, but he was restrained from head to foot to the bunk. "What…are they doing to me? How long have I been here?"

"They want access to your coordinate ability," whispered Hange, averting her gaze with a troubled frown, "and it's been two days since they brought you in. I'm sorry, my dear, but it's all for the greater good."

Eren was about to blurt a string of expletives, but then Hange forced his right fisted hand open and she traced something with her index finger in his palm.

 _"B-E C-A-L-M. I W-I-L-L G-E-T Y-O-U O-U-T."_

Eren tried to steady his breathing. He felt sick. He knew they'd already injected him with numerous mystery medications, and his body ached all over. He couldn't mistrust Hange, though. He believed her. He traced his response back in the palm of her hand.

 _"H-O-W-?"_

Hange glanced at the camera monitoring the cell, and she shook her head. "Just cooperate with us, Eren. I don't want you to suffer."

Her fingertip traced her undercover response into his palm. _"T-O-O D-E-T-A-I-L-E-D. J-U-S-T T-R-U-S-T M-E."_

He really had no choice in the matter. Eren frowned up at her, wiggling his finger against her palm in a nodding gesture even as he spouted an angry declaration. "You fucking kidnap me, lock me in some cell and expect me to just cooperate? You're out of your mind! How fucking _dare_ you!"

Hange went along with it, playing her role flawlessly. "It wasn't my decision, Eren. You are a very special young man, and this was going to happen eventually. I signed on specifically so that I could be in on this project, to be honest. I know you and I care about you, and I want to ensure that you're treated as kindly as possible. Please, Eren, just do as they say. You don't have to suffer over this."

Eren's breath caught. She sounded so sincere, but her eyes were begging him to play along. "What happens to my friends? If they lay a single hand on them, I'll kill them all."

"I don't know what they have planned for your friends or family, and I can't tell you more than that," Hange said. "Eren, if you really want them to be safe, then you'll do as you're told. Do you understand?"

Yes, he understood. She was biding time. He could see that in the quiet urgency in her eyes, and Eren knew that Hange wasn't truly betraying him. He had to play his role too, though. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Run some tests, take samples and I'm sorry to say, inject you with experimental drugs," answered Hange softly. "That's all that I can tell you. Please just don't make this harder than it has to be."

"You people are sick," Eren stated, and then he rolled as much as his bound position would allow, his legs tensing. "I'm going to throw up."

Hange quickly grabbed the vomit pan from under the cot, and she held it to his lips as Eren turned his head and started puking. She stroked his hair with a troubled expression, unable to do more for him at this time.

* * *

Three days later, Erwin still hadn't gotten permission to conduct the rescue mission he proposed, and he was feeling mightily frustrated. He got a call from Hange in the evening, and he cursed as he answered his phone. "What in the hell is going on there, Hange?"

"Calm down and listen," she said firmly on the other line. "Now's not the time for you to blow your stack, blondie. I'm nervous enough as it is, so don't you mouth off at me!"

Erwin calmed himself as much as he could. "What do you have for us? Please tell me it's something of use. The brass is being difficult without solid evidence."

"I realize that, and I _do_ have something useful," she assured. "I'm uploading video evidence to you now, Erwin. Turn on your goddamned computer and open the files."

Erwin quickly did as advised. "What should I be expecting, here?"

"Filmed, documented proof that the BRS is conducting illegal human experimentation to create titans," answered Hange succinctly. "This is what you need, Smith. Show this to the higher-ups. I've also mailed blood samples and a vial of the titan formula. It should arrive by tomorrow, but our mail carriers are fairly lazy and I can't guarantee the time frame."

"Understood." Erwin opened up the first file that Hange had uploaded to him, and his eyes widened as he witnessed the transformation of a human to a titan. The man was screaming in agony, tearing at his face and on his knees within a giant tank. He then grew in size and he vanished within the nape of a ten-meter titan. The resulting creature had one eye bigger than the other, and it grinned stupidly down at the camera and began to slap the reinforced glass.

"Dear God," whispered Erwin. "They could start the cycle all over again!"

"No fucking shit," commented Hange, sounding suspiciously like Levi. "So you fellas need to get your butts in gear right away. I'm only one brilliant person, after all."

Erwin resisted a sarcastic response. "And Jaeger? What are they doing to him? How is he?"

"He isn't good," sighed Hange. "I'm doing my best to keep the experiments as humane as possible, but Erwin, if you don't move soon I'm afraid I'm going to have to. I have an idea."

Erwin groaned softly. "Enlighten me, then."

"Okay, here goes: this place gets medical and research supplies directly from the government. They come in via transport choppers just like the ones your organization uses. If you can't get those bastards on high to move their butts, here's what you do…"

Erwin listened intently to Hange's plan.

* * *

"That isn't good enough," snapped Levi, pacing the hallway as he spoke with Erwin. "Those fuckers aren't even getting their dicks wet on this. It's been five fucking days, Erwin!"

He didn't notice Mikasa stopping behind him, watching and listening.

"Levi, I am doing the best I can within protocol," protested Erwin on the phone. "It's because of their affiliation with national security that I can't make this happen faster."

"Fuck protocol," snapped Levi.

"Ackerman, I am ordering you now to stand down," said Erwin firmly. "I _will_ get the sanction you need, but you need to give me time."

"Eren doesn't _have_ time," reminded Levi. "While those shitheads are twiddling their fingers, he's being used as a lab rat and fuck knows what this is going to do to him. Don't put me in a position where I've got to take on my former role and kill him if he loses it, Commander."

"I certainly have no desire to do that," assured Erwin. "Please, Levi. Just give me a bit more time."

Levi grunted, his features screwing up with frustration. If he kept on like this, he'd ruin his chances…so he swallowed it. "All right, Erwin. I'm trusting you to do what's right."

He hung up the phone, and he almost gave a little start when he turned to see Mikasa gazing at him levelly. "Guess you must have heard some of that."

She nodded. "I heard enough. What do you intend to do, Captain? Will you sit and do nothing, or will you act? If it's the latter, I want to be a part of it."

Levi's body jolted with supreme irritation, hard enough to make his muscles spasm. "Seriously? I'm trying to fucking protect you all and you want to—"

"I'm skilled," interrupted Mikasa coldly, "and you know it. If you have intentions to operate outside of protocol—as I suspect—then you could use me. It's Eren, Captain."

Levi sputtered softly. "This is exactly why…oh, hell." He stared at her silently for a moment, tilting his head. Yes, he honestly couldn't ask for a better fighter at his back. "How much do you remember of using ODM gear, kid?"

Mikasa nodded slowly. "Enough to get me by. Do you happen to have an extra set, sir?"

* * *

-To be continued


	22. Chapter 22

Mikasa knew beyond a doubt that Levi trusted her when he took her to his apartment and provided her with her own set of the ODM gear he'd designed. He kept several sets of them in the closet of his spare room, and she was frankly surprised by the amount of titan blades and gas canisters he'd neatly stocked.

"So how is it?"

Mikasa glanced up at her companion after making some final adjustments to the harness straps of her borrowed gear. She nodded. "It feels fine, sir. I'm not familiar with some of these trigger mechanisms, though."

"Yeah, I've made some changes to it." Levi approached her, and he pointed out the blue button on her right-hand trigger mechanism. "That one shoots a flare. It comes out of the barrel attached to your right side blade sheath. I've never had reason to use it in the field yet, but I've tested it extensively. If we get separated and you find yourself in deep shit, fire off that flare to give me your location. You can also deploy additional gas to use as a smokescreen if you need to, and that works the same as it used to. Clear?"

"Understood." Mikasa looked down at her gear. "Does the rest of it work as it used to, or do I need a quick lesson?"

"The only notable difference is the turbo trigger," explained Levi. "This gear uses about half as much fuel as the gear you remember, but if you flip the green switch on your left trigger and press the button underneath, it'll give you an extra burst of speed beyond what you could ordinarily get through trigger use alone. Don't get too damned playful with it though, Mikasa. I know how reckless you can get with your fuel usage."

She flushed a little and she bit her lower lip. "Sir."

Levi smirked a bit. "Any further questions?"

She met his gaze. "How are we getting to our target location, Captain?"

"Good question," he approved. "To answer that, I've got a friend that owes me a favor."

He pulled out his new cellphone replacement and he searched through his contacts list. He glanced at Mikasa as he brought the device to his ear. "You ought to remember her, in fact." The person he was contacting picked up on the other line, and Levi got straight to business. "Hey. You remember that favor I said I was never going to collect on? Well, I've changed my mind. You've got a chopper available, right?"

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this," protested Lt. Nanaba as she checked her heading. She glanced sidelong at the small man she'd agreed to pilot to the location of the BRS facility. "Levi, this stunt better not get me court martialed!"

Levi kept his eyes on the ground they were flying over. "It won't. I'll take full responsibility for it. If anyone's going to get punished for this, it'll be me."

Nanaba sighed, and she combed her fingers through her short-cropped blonde hair. "I'd love to know how you're going to pull this off. I'm not thrilled about dumping a friend in the middle of a hornet's nest, you blackmailing little shit."

Levi huffed a little with amusement, and he looked over his shoulder at Mikasa briefly. Nanaba was a pilot in the Air Brigade, whom he sometimes hung out with between missions at a pub they both frequented. He'd rescued her a couple of years ago during a mission that his agency was participating in with her military branch. Her helicopter went down, and he'd gotten her out of the wreckage before it blew. She'd been very grateful of course, and she'd told him that if he ever needed a favor to look her up. He'd told her to forget about it, but his situation demanded a change of heart on that.

"I've got a good fighter at my back," Levi assured her. "I'm not going to do anything crazy. My only goal is to get Jaeger out of that place."

"Security is going to be a real bitch to get by," predicted Nanaba. "You're good, Ackerman, but I don't know if even _you_ can pull this off. Shit, I'm flying you to your death."

"Hey, have a little faith," protested Levi. "I've gotten out of tighter spots than this."

"Even if you pull this off," Nanaba pointed out, "you're going to be in deep shit. I still think you should have cleared it with Erwin first."

"I already tried that. He did his best, but the chief can only pull so many strings and Eren's time is running out."

Nanaba smirked at him. "Sounds like love to me."

Levi scowled at her. "Fuck you."

She chuckled. "You've really got a bad dose of it, don't you shrimp?"

"Tch. I'll remember you said that the next time you drool over Mike, you whore."

The tomboyish woman flushed a bit at the reminder of her powerful crush on the attractive blond deputy director of Levi's agency. "Hey, you swore you'd keep that under your hat, asshole."

"And I will," assured Levi, "as long as you don't flake out on me."

"Oh, you are such a little bitch," complained Nanaba. "I _knew_ it was a mistake to start hanging out with the likes of you."

Levi shrugged. "Then maybe you should have thought that through a little better, and you should rethink teasing me about my client."

"Fine." Nanaba sighed, and she checked her dash again. "We should be coming up on it soon. I can't fly in too close if I don't want them picking me up on radar, Ackerman. I can't promise to stick around if my superiors get in touch with me asking about my twenty, either."

"Understood." Levi glanced around at the interior of the chopper. "Hey, is this bird packing or what?"

Nanaba snorted. "As if I'd be flying a whirly that doesn't have ammo. Please, you know me better."

"Heh, good point." Levi looked at the pilot, his expression sobering. "I'm not gonna ask you to get more involved than you have to, but I'd appreciate you sticking around as long as you can. Having air transport will make it a hell of a lot easier to get my client out of harm's way."

She met his gaze. "I'll do my best, Levi. As I said though: I can't make any promises. I'm already risking my neck flying you here against protocol."

"I know." Levi looked out the window again, and he offered her a rare moment of gratitude. "Thanks for this."

* * *

Erwin again tried to reach Levi, and he was once again taken to voice mail. He growled softly in frustration, getting a sinking feeling in his gut. Mike had already informed him that Mikasa Ackerman was nowhere to be found, and her friends were worried. He knew damned well how impulsive she could be when it came to Eren's safety, and with Levi missing as well...

"Two Ackermans missing in action," he mused. "This can't be good."

Levi had been growing increasingly impatient, and Erwin knew the man better than most. He suspected the reason he couldn't reach Levi now was because the agent had turned his phone off, which meant that he was sick of waiting and had decided to move on his own. He could be infiltrating the Trost BRS facility right now, and the director wouldn't be surprised if Mikasa was with him. Erwin massaged his forehead as he tried to decide what course of action he could take.

If he couldn't reach Levi to confirm his suspicions, then the higher ups couldn't hold Erwin responsible for his actions. He had plausible deniability. Of course, if Levi _was_ acting on his own to try and rescue Eren, it made perfect sense that he would turn his phone off for stealth reasons. Erwin knew the way the man thought, though. He could well imagine Levi trying to protect him in his own way by avoiding speaking with him altogether. The worst part was that Erwin _sensed_ this coming the last time they spoke, and he'd foolishly neglected to take steps to prevent it.

The office door opened and Mike walked in. He raised his brows in silent question as he closed the door behind him, and Erwin shook his head.

"Nothing," he informed the taller blond. "I can't reach Levi, and he never clocked out. His motorcycle is gone."

Mike sniffed thoughtfully, and he walked over to Erwin's desk to half-sit on it. "No sign of Mikasa either, boss. I did find something out, though. One of the parking security guards said he saw Levi leave with that girl about an hour ago. I've already checked his apartment, and his bike's not there."

"Damn it," swore Erwin. "He's gone over my head to try and get Jaeger."

"You sure about that?" Mike frowned. "Ackerman might be a surly little shit, but he's never disobeyed your orders before."

"He's never had such personal stakes riding on my orders, either. Eren Jaeger is much more than a client to Levi. Trust me when I say his loyalty to me has been stretched to its limit, and it's now a secondary priority to him."

"Hmph. You know the guy better than anyone else here." Mike shrugged. "So what do we do? He's gone against orders and he's taken a civilian into the hornet's nest with him. You gonna try to pull more strings to get the green light to go ahead with the sting operation?"

"I'm afraid I've pulled as many strings as possible," sighed Erwin. "I've sent the video files Hange provided to our superiors, and they're going to review it. I don't know when the samples she talked of will be delivered, so that bit of incentive is going to have to wait."

"You don't think you ought to report this?" pressed Mike. "Levi's going to get himself caught or killed, along with that girl he took with him."

Erwin checked another sigh. He couldn't deny that possibility, no matter how amazing the two subjects in question were in combat. "Mike is our cover chopper ready to go?"

The bigger man nodded, his expression suddenly taking on a suspicious cast. "Yeah. The numbers given to us by Zoë were painted on yesterday, and it should be dry today. What are you thinking, Erwin?"

The director stood up. "I'm thinking of breaking protocol. I want Ral and Jinn in this office immediately."

* * *

Petra stared wide-eyed at Erwin once he explained the situation to her and Eld. "Sir, are you sure Agent Ackerman would do something so rash? Maybe he's just out clearing his head somewhere and he doesn't want to be disturbed."

"He would have clocked out," Erwin pointed out, "and he would have told me he was taking the day off before going, which means he's got something to hide. He took measures to delay anyone finding out he was gone right away, to buy himself a window of time to get what he needs and start his mission."

"But just the _two_ of them against a whole compound full of enemies?" Eld's face screwed up. "It's not like him to be so reckless."

"Perhaps he's recruited help from elsewhere," suggested Erwin. "Levi does have connections in this city."

Mike scratched his chin. "Why am I suddenly picturing the shrimp leading a gang of thugs in the charge?"

Erwin smirked a bit. "I don't know about a 'charge'. That would be far too bold, but Ackerman does have some former associates that have some…interesting skillsets."

 _~Just like in the past.~_

"I hate to say it, but I can picture it," Eld muttered, "and if anyone could manage to infiltrate that place and get Jaeger out of there with such a bare bones team, it would be our SAC. I'm not too thrilled about his chances, though."

Erwin nodded grimly. "I share that opinion, which is why I've called you both in here. I trust that you can keep what's said in this room strictly to yourselves, regardless of what is decided when I've finished discussing my intentions with you."

They both nodded, but they looked faintly wary. So did Mike.

"Well then, let's get on with it." Erwin looked at them each in turn. "Our superiors are stalling. They don't want a larger divide between our government factions than there already is, and I can't honestly blame them. However, while they are debating whether to sanction our sting operation or not, illegal experimentation is happening and civilians are being abducted."

Erwin walked over to his laptop sitting on his desk, and he bent over to browse through his secured file folders. After entering his passcode to open up the one containing evidence against the BRS, he found one of the video documentaries showing the process of turning a human into a titan. He turned the computer around to face his companions, and he started the video.

"This is what we could have on our hands, if something isn't done to put a stop to this. Eren Jaeger is the key to their project, and should they get what they want out of him, they will have at their disposal the most deadly army of living weapons this world has ever seen. Watch closely."

The three agents crowded in close to peer down at the screen, and Erwin allowed the entire clip to play. He could see by the horrified looks on all three faces that he'd succeeded in making his point to them. When the clip stopped, Erwin looked at each of his associates intensely.

"As you can imagine, such a force breaking free of confinement at any time—whether under the control of the BRS or not—could prove disastrous for the population. The situation isn't just about the safety and security of one celebrity, people. This is a matter of national security, and I suspect some of the people in the ranks of the brass might actually be supportive of this 'Titan project'."

"So _that's_ why they're calling it the 'Titan project'," mused Mike. Like the other two agents, he wore the expression of someone that had just found out that his nightmares were real. "But we've got the firepower to take 'em down, right? They're big, but they're still flesh and blood, aren't they?"

"Explosive shells aren't especially effective against these creatures," Erwin explained. He didn't even need Hange to tell him that, now that he had most of his memories from the previous life back. "They regenerate at an astonishing speed. You could blow their limbs off with missiles and they would simply grow back. You could fill their bodies full of lead, and it still wouldn't stop them. They are essentially immortal, save for one single weakness: one spot on the back of their necks, at the nape of it. It would take a direct hit to succeed in bringing one down without the creature recovering. They have no fear, no conscience, and they will devour any human they can get their hands on alive. I think it's safe to say we would rather avoid risking any of these things making it into populated areas and eating our citizens."

"I…think I need to sit down," Petra whispered. Eld solicitously pulled out a chair for her and she sank down into it gratefully.

"That isn't all," Erwin continued firmly. "I have reason to believe the BRS may have an interest in Agent Ackerman and Mikasa Ackerman, as well. They too have something unique in their genetics that could give the enemy incentive to experiment on them, as well. Jaeger is suspected to have an ability that could control titans, but that ability can potentially control other humans, as well. The Ackerman family is immune to mind control. Just imagine what they might try to do with that, if they want to ensure their own people can't be manipulated by the same talent they intend to use to command the abominations they've created."

"So what I'm getting out of this is that you think they didn't just want Mikasa Ackerman as leverage to force Eren's cooperation," reasoned Eld. "They think they can use her as part of the project?"

"That is my suspicion." Erwin nodded. "I haven't heard anything more from Hange since she sent me those files and told me that she was also sending samples. She did offer me a possible method we could use to conduct a rescue operation of our own…one that won't require mobilizing a large force and a full-on attack. What I need to know is which of the three of you, if any, are willing to bend the rules and help me to organize this plan. I will take full responsibility when the brass learns of what we've done, whether our mission succeeds or not. The rest of you will simply be following orders, and as far as you know, I've got the required clearance to go ahead with the mission plan. I won't think any less of you if you choose not to assist, but I would sincerely appreciate your discretion in this matter, at least until after I've already left."

Mike frowned at him. "Are you talking about going in solo, chief?"

Erwin nodded. "If I must. I understand that the possible risk to your careers may not be worth it to you all. I'm willing to chance it, myself."

"And what happens when and if we do get Jaeger and the Ackermans out of there?" Eld pressed. "There's still going to be the matter of those titans to deal with…or were you planning to try and bomb the place before getting out of there to deal with that?"

Erwin shook his head. "Setting off enough explosions could possibly decimate the test subjects they've been keeping in the lowest levels, but it stands an equal chance of simply freeing most of them from confinement and endangering the local population. This is not a sabotage mission. It's simply a rescue mission and our goal is to get in and out of there with as little conflict and as few deaths as possible. Putting an end to their project is a thing that is going to have to wait for the higher ups in our factions to decide the threat is big enough to officially move against the BRS and their associated branches."

They all exchanged looks, and Mike was the first to shrug and give his nod. "I've done crazier things with you before, Smith. I'm in."

Eld briefly lowered his gaze, weighing the risks versus the rewards. Finally, he nodded as well. "I've been working under Ackerman for a good while now. I respect the man and I think of him as a friend as much as a superior. If he's got the balls to go in with only some rock star girl at his back, I'd be pretty chickenshit to turn down going in with some of the best agents in our branch."

Erwin looked to Petra. While she was new here, her familiarity with her old comrades had carried over from her previous life, as seemed to be a common occurrence. She looked uncertain for a moment, and then she hardened her expression and she too gave a nod.

"We can't let them use Mr. Jaeger to make this experiment of theirs even dangerous than it already is." She looked at Erwin's computer screen, which had paused with the image of the newly transformed titan slapping at the glass of its tank. She swallowed and she put a hand to her stomach. "Something about those things…I know it isn't possible, but I could swear I've seen them before. I don't want them breaking free and terrorizing citizens, and I sure as hell don't want Agent Ackerman to end up as another one of the BRS guinea pigs. I'm in."

"Excellent," said Erwin in approval. "Thank you all. We have the uniforms, the access code for landing and the aircraft to get us safely in. However, we haven't had the opportunity to pack up more than basic medical supplies from the infirmary. There is a chance that none of it is even on their list, in which case things could get complicated. Just avoid conflict for as long as you can, keep your micro ear buds on for communication and make sure the microphones are properly hidden."

"What about weapons?" pressed Eld. "There's probably going to be some kind of security checkpoint. It's going to be suspicious of medical supply runners go in fully armed, sir."

"That's where one of the 'supply' crates will come in," explained Erwin. "It has a false bottom that most scanners can't penetrate to detect anything within that compartment. We'll arm ourselves as soon as we find someplace inside out of sight, and keep the weapons concealed until we have need to use them."

"Let's just hope this crate will fool their scanning security," muttered Mike.

"Yes, let's hope. At least we're somewhat prepared for this." Erwin would have liked to have another day to finalize things and actually get official sanction to do this, but now that Levi was highly likely to be going in on his own, the director was no longer willing to wait.

"Uh, Director?" Petra asked hesitantly as they began to pull their plan together, "are you _sure_ Agent Ackerman is really going to be there? What if he's not?"

"I'm positive," assured Erwin, "but in the chance that I'm wrong, we're still going to follow the plan."

* * *

Hange compressed her lips as she watched Eren and the other test subject they'd locked into the observation room with him. She was sitting next to Noel Clyde, who was heading the titan project and working with her on the related coordinate project. Clyde pressed the intercom button to speak to Eren, who was curled up huddled in the corner.

"You're going to have to cooperate with us at some point, Mr. Jaeger. You've demonstrated that you can do it, so let's not waste any further time."

Eren shook his head, avoiding even looking at the man they'd tossed in there to use as his practice dummy, more or less. He didn't say anything. He just compressed his now bloodless lips and he glared at the observation glass as if he could see through it to the man speaking on the other side. His bright eyes were shadowed with exhaustion and his skin was a sickly pallor from the treatments they'd been giving him to bolster his ability.

Clyde sighed, and he glanced at Hange. "I would really prefer not to do this again." He pressed the blue button by his console and Hange tensed a bit when it triggered a shock via the collar they'd sealed around Eren's neck for these sessions.

"Gaaahhh!" Eren writhed on the floor, his body jerking and twitching with the current going through it.

"Enough," Hange said flatly, authoritatively. When Clyde raised a brow at her, she explained in a remarkably calm tone. "His system can only take so much, Doctor, and I know my patient. Eren Jaeger can be a stubborn young man and pain doesn't frighten him. Trust me in this. You could shock him until he goes into cardiac arrest, and you won't get any results from him."

The other doctor grimaced and pressed the button again to stop it, well aware of how important it was to keep this subject alive and in good enough condition to perform. "Then what would you suggest? As you said: you know him."

"Give him a rest," she suggested. "His blood pressure is too low and you see how pale he is. We should put him back into his cell for now and give him the chance to regain some strength before going any further, else we might lose him."

Dr. Clyde sighed again, watching the subject thoughtfully. "Yes, he is looking rather green. Very well; we'll give him a day's respite to recover." He gave a nod to the two security guards behind them by the door. "Go on; take him to his cell and see to it he's fed and given water. Send someone to take subject 48 back to the holding cells in the titan sector, as well."

Hange didn't allow the stab of pity she felt for the man named "subject 48" on her features. She watched impassively as the guards went into the testing chamber and dragged Eren out of there, though her concern for him was growing to a sickening point. His feet dragged the floor as they shackled him and took him from the room, carrying him by the upper arms.

 _~This shit is going to kill him.~_

Hange was becoming more certain of that with each administration of experimental drugs and each test they conducted on him. In their eagerness to gain access to his coordinate and break Eren so that he could be of use to them, the BRS was taking it too far. It was past time for someone to act, and since she had no way of contacting Erwin or Levi right now to find out if their agency was moving yet, it looked like it was going to be up to her.

Hange got out of her chair and she stretched. "Well, it's been quite a busy day, hasn't it? I'm going to have a coffee before I check on Jaeger and get back to my research."

"Coffee sounds good," agreed Clyde, "and Dr. Zoë, if you can think of anything that might help sustain subject Jaeger a bit better, by all means try it. You seem to have a way with elixirs that I haven't seen equaled these days and our vitamin injections don't seem to be doing much good for him."

Hange nodded. "Of course. I'll administer a dose of my invigorating mix whenever he's able to drink it down without throwing it back up. A day of rest is still advisable even if it peps him up some, though."

"Fair enough," said Clyde, "we'll resume on Thursday."

Hange left the observation room, and she made a show of going to the nearest break room to pour a cup of coffee. She sipped at it, checked the time and she waited until the hallways were clear to avoid the risk of any questions. Once the coast was clear, she went to fetch a couple of things from her office and from the morgue. On her way to her trajectories, she pulled out her cell phone and she looked up Annie's cellphone contact number. She couldn't make it to her residency to contact Annie from her safe phone and speak to her directly, but Hange's concern was no longer for her cover.

 _"FUBAR,"_ Hange texted to Annie Leonhart.

* * *

Annie paused in her scheduling work to check her buzzing cellphone. She sighed when she saw the text message from Hange, and she gave a quick, short response.

 _"Understood."_

Annie shrunk down the scheduling database program to open up the one Hange had set up. She located the hidden folder and she typed in the passcode given to her by the doctor, and then she activated the paradigm that would start up all of the program modules that Hange had put together for this key moment.

"No damned wonder that woman never sleeps," muttered Annie with a shake of her blonde head. She sighed. She'd come to admire the doctor in her time working for her, and that admiration only grew when Hange blackmailed her into this position. Annie could appreciate such ruthless cunning. She'd even developed some fondness toward the eccentric, formidable woman. She still didn't know the details behind what Hange was away doing, but she knew it had something to do with a research organization and one of her patients. All Hange had told her—supposedly for her own good—was that Annie was to trigger the program modules she'd set up.

"Good luck, Dr. Zoë…whatever it is you're trying to do."

The folder closed on its own and seemed to vanish from the computer as soon as Annie finished putting in the code to activate it. The young woman winced, and she hoped it hadn't crashed and sputtered out. She was told never to contact Hange except to respond to texts. Annie checked her phone, wondering if she was going to get a response. Her eyes widened when she found that the text from Hange and her response to it was gone as if it had never been.

"Oh, she's good," muttered Annie.

* * *

Back in his high security cell, Eren groaned and fought back his nausea. His head was pounding. Whatever they'd done to him with all of that medication seemed to have triggered something, all right. He felt something welling up within him, and it frightened him. It made a bitter taste rise in his mouth. He was afraid; not of what was going to happen to him, but of himself and what he might do. He remembered what he'd been capable of in his past life, and he'd gotten into the habit of praying that he would die before they could turn him into a monster again.

"Levi," he croaked, curling up on his bunk and squeezing his pillow. Tears began to leak from his eyes as he replayed that horrible moment on the helicopter when Levi went down, just before Eren took hits from the tranquilizers and blacked out. Hange told him that they hadn't killed Levi, that they'd dumped him somewhere with the other two UFI agents they'd brought down. She seemed to believe the captain was still alive, but she hadn't confirmed that for him yet. Eren had to believe Levi survived. He had to trust that even if he never saw him again in this life, his lover would be safe.

Eren thought of his friends and the good times they'd had, trying not to cast his thoughts back to the darker hours of their existence. He didn't even know how long he'd been here, but each night he tried to comfort himself with memories of laughter and memories of breathless, heated encounters with Levi.

The lights suddenly flickered and went out completely, both in his chamber and in the corridor outside of it. Eren sat up suddenly, and a rush of dizziness made him groan. It was so dark that he couldn't see a thing, and there was utter silence for a moment. He took a deep breath, wondering what was going on.

Suddenly Eren heard a muffled grunt, the sounds of a scuffle and two brief, masculine cries from the other side of his door. He blinked and he squinted as the emergency backup lights flickered dimly on, and he gave a little start when a wide-eyed, spectacled face pressed against the little observation window to his cell from the other side.

"Hange?" whispered Eren.

There was a husky grunt from her as she did something with the electronic locking mechanism on his door, and he saw a little spark and heard her yelp softly. The door slid open, and Hange came in dragging a gurney behind her. She smiled at him with obvious excitement, a wild look in her eyes as though she were about to bag a deviant titan for research.

Eren didn't know what to think. He'd seen Hange look scary like that before on several occasions, but after everything that had happened to him lately, he couldn't help but cringe as she came into his cell. "What's going on?" he demanded, his voice breaking with every syllable thanks to all of the yelling he'd done at the hands of the BRS.

Hange went to his side, grabbed his hand and slipped his arm around her neck. She put her free arm around his waist and she helped him up. "Come on, Eren. There's no time to explain. We've got to move fast before we lose my window."

"W-window?" Eren looked mistrustfully at the gurney, and he furrowed his brows when he saw the open bag draped over it. "Hey, wait. Is that a body bag?"

Hange nodded, ushering him to the gurney and its morbid covering. "That's right, my dear. You're dead."

Eren's eyes went round in his face and he stopped, his bare feet skidding on the floor. " _DEAD?"_

Hange's eyes met his, and she clicked her tongue. "I see you took that literally, you poor, confused thing. You aren't _really_ dead, so don't panic. You just need to _play_ dead while I try to get you out of here and steal a chopper."

"C-can you even fly?" Eren laid a shaky hand over the yawning black opening of the body bag, feeling like it was a monster waiting to devour him.

"Only one way to find out," grunted Hange, helping him onto the gurney and tucking him into the bag. "I'd rather risk it and have us both crash to a fiery death than let those bastards lay another finger on you. I'm pretty sure I can get us up into the air, but the diversion I've started has a limited time range, so let's not waste it."

Eren swallowed as he lay down on the gurney, and another moment of panic hit him when Hange began to zip it up. "Wait…does it have to be closed all the way?"

"It's better that way. Easier to trick anyone that questions me if they can't see your face. You aren't Levi, kiddo; I don't trust you to keep your expression still as stone." She smiled down at him. "Just think of it like a sleeping bag, okay? It'll be fun! Just like camping."

"I don't know what kind of camping trips _you've_ been on, but—mmph!"

Eren's protest was muffled as Hange zipped up the body bag, leaving him in a smothering cocoon of darkness. Eren felt a jolt as she turned the gurney around and it hit the doorway on the way out. He damned near fell off the thing when it ran over something, and he heard a man groan.

"Whoops! Sorry about that," Hange declared, and it was unclear whether she was apologizing to Eren or whichever defeated cell guard she'd just plowed over.

Eren gritted his teeth and he tried to be still, holding on to the sides of the gurney as well as he could with his hands encased in the thick bag. He didn't know how in the world Hange expected him to be completely still and silent with the way she was jostling him around. He could hear the wheels rumbling and he sensed the doctor was pushing him along rather quickly.

There was just no way this was going to work.

The gurney slowed and stopped, and Eren heard a man's voice make an inquiry. He cursed himself for jinxing Hange's efforts with his own negativity.

"Hold it! Where are you going with that?" asked a man.

"To the morgue, of course," answered Hange in an impatient tone. "The poor bastard didn't make it. They had him on life support when the power went out and I found him deceased when I went to check in on him. I need to determine time of death for the records and perform an autopsy to put on file."

"Which subject is it?" There was a blip, and Eren guessed the man was checking one of those electronic notepads a lot of personnel carried around with them to keep track of lists and files.

"Subject 37," answered Hange.

There was a moment of silence, and then the man spoke again. "I'll have to have a look."

"But—" Hange protested.

The top zipper was pulled down, and Eren held his breath and went perfectly still as the material parted to expose his face. He'd seen a glimpse of himself in the one-way mirror while in the testing chamber earlier, and he knew he was looking pale enough to pass for a corpse if he could just be still.

With his eyes shut, Eren couldn't see the man or the expression on his face, but he could hear the suspicion in his voice. "Damn it, my pad isn't working. Nothing is…not even my phone and—hey! This guy isn't dead!"

A helpless spasm went through Eren, a lingering after-effect of being shocked by the collar earlier. Cold panic swept through him.

"Just some trapped gas," insisted Hange. "Corpses twitch or move all the time post mortem, you silly man. Why, some even moan or sit up!"

"Whether that's true or not, I can't let you take this 'corpse' anywhere until I've confirmed who it is," said the guard firmly. "That didn't look like gas to me and I don't think this man is really dead."

Eren opened his eyes and tensed, ready to fight for his life. Hange beat him to it, though. She'd reached beneath her lab coat and smoothly pointed a gun with a silencer attached at the guard's head. She sighed. "No, he's not dead…but now _you_ are."

"Hange, wait…"

It was too late. Before the facility guard could do more than reach for his own weapon, Hange's firearm went off with a _pop_ and a _fwoot_ , and then Eren's wide-eyed face got splattered with the hapless man's blood. The guard fell with only a slight choking sound, killed almost immediately. Eren stared at the body as it hit the floor, sitting up wearing the body bag around him like it really was a sleeping bag keeping him warm on a cold night. He looked at Hange owlishly.

"You killed him!"

"Whatever it takes, Eren," she answered grimly, lips compressing. The emergency lights dimmed for a moment, then brightened again. They soon began to pulse slowly, and then more rapidly. It had a sort of strobe light effect. "Now lay back down so I can zip you up, Eren. We've got to keep going."

* * *

She avoided all heavy traffic areas as she pushed Eren through the maze of the sector to the secured lift—which would not be operational by anyone save herself while her program still had control of the systems. They were almost to the lift they needed when Hange noticed someone before it, fooling with the access pad in an attempt to get it working. Hange pulled the gurney off into a side hall and she peeked around the corner with a muttered oath. It was Moblit. She would assume everyone else was trying to take the stairs, but even access to those were restricted by scanning technology. She smirked. The BRS had gotten too cocky, thinking the backup generators would take care of everything until people could evacuate, if they ever lost power. Hange hadn't failed to take that into account when she designed her paradigm for this moment. Not a single piece of electronic equipment linked to this facility's data system would work properly for the duration of this window…not even her own phone.

"Stay still, Eren," she said softly to the wrapped up young man on the gurney. "I'll be right back."

There was a nod from within the body bag, and Hange drew her gun and began to creep up on Moblit's turned back. She faltered when she got within distance to get a clear shot of him, and she sighed. Putting the gun away, she reached into her lab coat for one of the syringes she'd supplied herself with so that she could attempt to put down any opposition without the need to kill. Creeping up on her former associate with stealth skills recalled from another time, Hange was as quiet as death. It helped that the sound of people in other corridors hollering inquiries and orders added some background noise to further mask her presence.

Moblit sensed the danger just as she made it within three feet, still retaining at least some of the instincts of his days as a scout. He turned, saw her and his eyes widened at the sight of the syringe clutched in her left hand and the determined, grim look on her face. He was too startled to see her coming at him in such a threatening way to react quickly.

"Dr. Zoë…"

She wordlessly lunged at him, grabbing him by the collar of his lab coat and slamming him up against the wall. A silent snarl twisted her lips as she grappled with him, and he almost knocked the syringe out of her hand.

"I could do a lot worse than this to you," Hange informed him as she stabbed toward his throat. Moblit caught her wrist and he tried to yell, but she'd hoisted him up off his feet and her fist was pressing against his windpipe and blocking his air. Both of their arms trembled with effort as Moblit tried to force the needle away from his throat, and he was slowly succeeding, even as he gasped and choked for breath.

Hange clenched her jaw. She was as strong as most men, but Moblit was desperate. She played dirty to put the odds back into her favor, and her knee came up sharply to strike him square in the groin. His face purpled and he groaned, his hold on her wrist loosening enough for her to jab him in the neck with the tranquilizer syringe. His eyes went blank and he began to go limp. Hange let him slide to the floor, and she nudged him away from the elevator to make room for Eren's gurney.

"It's a damned good thing for you I couldn't go through with it, you nervous little party pooper," Hange said to the now unconscious blond man, and then she went to retrieve Eren. The main lights were beginning to flicker along with the floodlights now, but the system should remain scrambled enough to keep the security cameras offline for long enough to get Eren to the hangar area and into a chopper. Hopefully, it would also keep the panels that allowed air traffic in and out locked open. The one problem was that the malicious program attacking the BRS systems would also affect their aircrafts. She might be able to get the engine started and get it into the air, but she'd have no navigation system or weapon system available until the paradigm ran its course completely, or someone in data tech managed to put a stop to it prematurely and clean it out.

* * *

"What in the hell is going on?" Erwin muttered to himself, peering out the window of the disguised chopper he was waiting in as the lights within the hangar blinked and flickered at random, like something you'd see at a rave club or in a house of horrors. The director had stayed behind with the helicopter on Mike's advisement, as Erwin's face was too recognizable as a representative of their agency and they were going to need someone to have the aircraft ready to go and get them out of their as soon as they came back, with or without Eren in tow.

"Mike, do you copy?" Erwin adjusted his headpiece and he listened intently. After a moment, there was a grunt and a response.

"Copy. We're busy right now, chief. Ran into some opposition and something's gone to shit with the lights and systems in here. Can't access any stairs or lifts to get to the lower floors, but I'm gonna try and blow one of the doors open to the stairs. No sign of the two Ackerman's yet."

"Copy that. Keep me updated."

Erwin sighed, and he nudged the fake glasses he wore a bit higher on his nose. Hopefully the oval lenses and the way his hair was combed would prevent any runway guards from recognizing him. So far none of them had approached since he'd given the proper access code and they found nothing strange about the pilot waiting in the chopper while the supply team went in to deliver. They were, however, keeping an eye on his chopper now that the power grid was acting strange. No doubt they had suspicions that he and his team could be responsible for it, since it began shortly after their arrival at the facility.

"Did Levi do this?" Erwin wondered. He shook his head. No, neither Levi or Mikasa had the skills to sabotage the whole power structure of this place. That left only Hange. He began to suspect that Zoë and Levi had been in touch and were in on this together.

Erwin sat tight and he kept one hand on his gun, and the other on the switch to the chopper's weapon panel. "Come on, people," he murmured. "You are the best of the best. Prove it to me now. Make it out of there alive."

* * *

"Captain Roper, we have an issue."

The black-haired head of BRS security snorted as her subordinate informed her. "No kidding. The lights are going off like fireworks. What's the problem, lieutenant?"

"Come see for yourself," he urged, leading her to the main security monitoring console room. "Either there's some kind of satellite feed interfering with our system, or someone's hacked us hard."

She followed him down the hall of the security level and into the control room in question. When she stepped inside, she found three of the assigned camera monitoring guards frantically working to override whatever signal it was that was interfering with their video feeds. There were twenty-five screens in all at this particular console, monitoring the top three levels of the compound as well as the surface where the hangar opened up for aircrafts. Not a single screen displayed any part of the facility. Instead, there were what appeared to be broadcasts of talk shows, soap operas and sit-coms. A couple of screens to the far right were showing clips from an old science fiction show.

What drew Roper's attention the most, however, were the very center screen and the four immediately surrounding it. The center one was black, but for the bright, flashing yellow digital words scrolling left to right across it.

" _'F-U-B-A-R'_ ," Jackie read aloud, and her gaze flicked to the lewd and varied porno film clips that were playing on the surrounding screens. Her fists clenched.

"What do you make of it, ma'am?" asked one of the guards, still typing away at his keyboard in an attempt to override it.

"Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition," Roper snapped. "It means we've been breached in a bad way, and whoever's responsible is basically informing us that they're fucking us hard. I want every available combat agent forming into groups and scouring this place, immediately! Nobody gets in or out!"

"Uh, Captain Roper," said the man that had come to her to begin with, "our communications are down, too. Both internal and external. We'll have to pass it on through word of mouth."

She snarled and she un-holstered her guns. "Do what you have to do. I've got a hunch that I know which organization is behind this attack, and we aren't going to let them have their way."

* * *

-To be continued


	23. Chapter 23

Levi and Mikasa were closer to Eren than either of them realized. After a disgusting crawl through the facility's waste system via an access grate that Levi had to cut through with a torch, they'd made their way through and into the air vent system with minimal exposure to security cameras or scanners. Dressed from head to toe in black, their heads covered by masks save for their eyes and mouths; Levi thought they looked like they were trying to rob a bank. The metal of the ODM gear was the only part of either of them that wasn't pitch black. They took down two personnel before making it into the air duct system once they were inside, and they used that to get down to the lower levels. Levi could have remonstrated Mikasa for snapping the neck of the guard she took care of, but he simply shrugged it off as a necessary casualty.

"Are we close?" whispered Mikasa in the dark over the noise of the air rushing around them.

Levi checked his phone for the schematic he'd saved to it. "We're nearly to the detainment level where they should be holding Eren. We'll exit the shaft when we're close enough. According to Hange, there's no grate access inside any of the holding cells, so we can't go directly into his to get him. Probably better that way. On the outside of it, we can blow the controls to open the damned cell up."

They made it to the exit grate that he presumed was the closest one to their target. Levi held up a hand to order silence. He made a gesture at his gear, and Mikasa silently nodded and got hers ready while he began to work the grate off as quietly as he could.

The grate fell to the floor below with a noisy clatter.

"Fuck," muttered Levi, annoyed with his failed effort.

He heard footsteps approaching. There was no help for it. Without hesitation, he slid out of the grate feet-first and he fired off his grapplers at the high ceiling, anchoring them at an angle far enough away from his location to give him the air momentum he needed. He heard Mikasa's gear hiss and deploy behind him as he shot through the air over the heads of the personnel that had come to investigate. The flashing lights were giving him a headache, but he blocked it out and focused on the task at hand. He pressed a button to expel a more substantial cloud of gas and he fired his harpoons again in a different direction, circling around what appeared to be a lab worker and two guards. He noticed with approval that Mikasa had followed his lead, and the two of them created a heavy fog of gas smoke around the small group, providing cover from the gunfire that had started ringing out.

The young woman worked in synch with Levi, just as she'd done on some missions in the past. They both closed in on the disoriented group, and Mikasa struck first with an aggressive yell. Levi saw a head go flying and he frowned at the smoke-blurred figure of his companion. "Bit of overkill there, girl."

"They took Eren," was the only excuse she offered.

With a shrug, Levi focused on the remaining guard, flying in with his boots leading the way to slam the man in the back of the head. He heard a crack and he grimaced a bit. So much for his lecture on overkill. He'd accidentally broken the bastard's neck. He tried to go easier on the unarmed scientist, who was screaming for help. He came at him just as the man turned around with wide, terrified eyes and Levi drove him to the floor, hitting him hard enough in the temple with his gloved fist to knock him out. Mikasa landed beside him, slightly winded and tense with adrenaline.

"Isn't that the cell that Hange said Eren was supposed to be held in?" Mikasa pointed.

Levi turned and he peered through the lingering fog at the flickering numbers over the open door of said chamber. "Yeah. He's not here." His hands clenched into fists. "Maybe they moved him somewhere when the system started fucking up."

"Where to now, sir?" Mikasa's eyes glittered with determination.

"Fuck if I know," he groused. He looked around. "Back that way, toward the lift entrance to this level. Maybe they put him in another cell. Keep high to the ceiling and if you see any cameras move, take 'em out."

She nodded. "Sir."

As they soared through the air, they heard shouts in the next corridor over and the sound of several footsteps running…as well as the noise of squeaky wheels and a metallic clatter.

"Stop! You are in violation of proto—"

There was a muffled bang and a gurgle. Levi's ears perked and he gestured at Mikasa to pull up even higher, until they were both only a couple of feet from the ceiling. Whoever was involved in the chase, they were about to come around the corner and come into view.

"Captain!"

Levi snapped a glare at Mikasa, who was staring down at the tiled floor below. "What part of _'keep silent unless necessary'_ didn't you get?" he hissed at her.

"But look," she insisted, pointing down at a figure in a blood splattered white lab coat, who was passing through the corridor at the t-junction up ahead. "Isn't that Commander Hange?" In her excitement, she'd reverted to calling Hange by her old rank as squad commander.

Levi looked where she indicated, and sure enough, he saw Hange pushing a gurney down the hall crossing theirs. His eyes narrowed when he saw the obviously occupied body bag being jostled about on top of the wheeled object, and shortly after Hange passed out of sight, three uniformed BRS guards came running into view, each with drawn guns and shouting at Hange to stop. Evidently their communication equipment wasn't working.

"Fuck, that better not be Eren in there," muttered Levi. He looked to his companion. "Come on. We'll take out those assholes chasing her and find out what the hell's going on."

"Leave the BRS agents to me, Captain," suggested Mikasa. "I can handle them while you cover Hange."

Levi found the logic sound. "Agreed."

* * *

Hange gave a hoot of shock when a small man all in black landed in front of her from above. She started to draw on him, but then she realized he was wearing ODM gear and she peered into his narrowed gray eyes, visible through the holes in his cloth mask.

"Levi?"

He pulled the mask up over his head and he tucked it into his harness straps. His intense gaze locked on the body bag and he nodded at it. "I came with Mikasa. Tell me that's not Eren in there, four-eyes."

The body bag suddenly sat bolt upright, and Eren's muffled voice could be heard from within, barely audible over the clash of steel and the ring of gunfire in the corridor behind them. "Levi?! Mikafa?!" A finger poked out through the slight opening at the top of the zipper, wiggling desperately. "Helf, I can't fee and it's hard to breaf in here!"

Levi acted before Hange could even put a hand forward to assist the singer. He grabbed the tab on the zipper and he yanked it down so hard that he put it off its track. Eren's head and upper body were both freed, his hair mussed and hanging in his eyes. The young man pushed his bangs out of his face with a shaking hand, and he locked eyes with Levi. His lips trembled and his bright gaze went green-gold with emotion.

"You…you came," observed Eren hoarsely.

For a heartbeat or two, Levi just stared at him, taking in his pallor and the waxy color of his lips. Then he swallowed and he spoke, and if his tone was just a little tight, only those closest to him could have picked up on it. "Don't I always, you shitty brat?"

Eren nearly fell out of the gurney as he lunged for Levi to hug him tightly. "I'm sorry," he said huskily against the smaller man's shoulder. "I'm…always the damsel in d-distress, right?"

Levi returned the tight embrace, and Hange smiled when she saw the way the tiny captain's eyes squeezed shut with relief he didn't even bother to hide. "Shut up," he said gruffly. "You ain't a damsel. You're just a trouble magnet."

"Aw," Hange exclaimed impulsively, but then she sobered. "Okay boys, this is a really cute and touching moment, but we've got to get our asses in gear. I tried to take Eren through the lift because he can barely walk, but the damned thing seems to be jammed. We'll have to use the stairs if we're going to get out of here. Levi, I hope you've got a ride for us because otherwise my only plan was to hijack one of the BRS choppers!"

Levi pulled away from his lover. "We had a ride here, but I don't know if they stuck around or not after we went in. If worse comes to worse, we'll make for the nearest forest and use the ODM gear to shake them and I'll contact the agency when we're clear enough."

Mikasa rejoined them, and she quickly took Levi's place in Eren's embrace when the two of them parted. "Where do we go now?"

"This way," urged Hange, "in the same direction I was heading. If we can get the door open to the fire escape, we can take the stairs."

Eren nearly collapsed when Mikasa helped him off of the gurney. Levi offered the singer one of his guns. "Think you could use this if you have to, Jaeger?"

Eren took the weapon with a nod. "Hell yes, Captain. They've got it coming to them, so I won't hesitate."

Levi nodded. "Good. Let's get moving. Lead the way, shitty glasses."

* * *

While Hange was leading her friends to the fire escape exit, Mike and his team were fighting for their lives. More security showed up as they were attempting to make their way to the stairs from the top level, and Mike led the charge against them with an aggressive growl. Petra dropped and slid across the floor as one of the guards took a shot at her, and she passed right underneath his spread legs. She brought up her gun as she came to a stop behind him, and she shot him in the back of the head before he could turn. She rolled to her feet and she kicked the gun out of another guard's hand before he could take another shot at Eld, who was rolling away from the last shot fired at him.

"Sir," Petra called to Mike, "we're attracting too much opposition!"

"Yeah," grunted Mike, getting back to his feet after tackling one of them and knocking him out cold. "Keep moving anyhow. We've got to make it to the damned stairs."

"We've barely even made a dent," observed Eld after shooting the man that Petra had just disarmed. "Shit…how are we supposed to get down to the lower levels with all this opposition at every turn?"

"Don't question. Just do it." Mike sheathed the knife he'd used earlier to stab one of the guards in the throat. He'd always been more keen on a hands-on approach than relying on firearms…a thing which Erwin had told him countless times might end up getting him killed. "This way, people. Open eyes and ears."

His two companions followed him gamely, despite their expressed misgivings. Eld shot a sidelong smirk at the small but deadly woman jogging beside him. "That was a bad-ass move you just pulled by the way, Ral. It kind of turned me on."

She chuckled breathlessly. "Inappropriate much, Agent Jinn? How unlike you."

"Stifle the flirting, you two," advised Mike, though he was grinning too.

"Yes sir." Petra saluted as she ran, again using the gesture of the old military without fully understanding where the impulse came from. Her gun rested over her breast as she offered the salute. "Flirting stifled."

"It really helps that we've got a guy with us that hits like a truck," Eld pointed out. He saw a couple more guards coming around the corner and he stopped, drawing his gun to fire at them immediately. "Sir, duck!"

Mike was already hitting the deck, and Eld shot down one of the guards. Petra took out the other.

"Nice aim," approved Mike with a grunt, getting back to his feet with one hand on the handle of his pistol and the other gripping his knife. He didn't even get the chance to bring on the pain, this time. Erwin's choice in team-mates was working out perfectly. "You two need a raise."

"Make sure you remember to bring that up to the director after this is over," suggested Petra with a soft giggle.

* * *

"Oh, fuck me."

Levi sighed at Hange as she fiddled with the controls locking the fire escape. "Can't get it open?" he guessed.

Hange shook her head, and she bit her lip as she glanced over her shoulder at him. "It seems I did my job a little _too_ well. Maybe the lift wasn't jammed after all."

Levi eased Eren down off his back; he'd been piggy-backing the weakened young man because Jaeger was too weak to keep up with them on his own two legs. Levi reached into the pouch attached to his gear harness, and he nodded at the door. "Stand back. I'll blow it loose."

Hange dutifully stepped aside, and she put an arm around Eren's waist to support him as Levi stepped up to the door and knelt down to attach the C-4 explosive he'd brought with him into the door.

"Sir, someone is coming," warned Mikasa when she heard running footsteps heading their way.

Levi kept to his task. "So take care of them, and don't let Eren get hurt."

"I'm not _completely_ helpless," Eren pointed out, drawing his borrowed gun even as he kept one arm around Hange for balance. "Maybe I could try using my coordinate—"

"Bad idea, love," cautioned Hange grimly. "Trying that could wipe you out completely, and it's really much better for you to remain conscious, don't you think?"

"Oh, right." Eren flushed slightly, his pallor more emphasized with his embarrassment. "Good call, ma'am."

The guards rounded the corner just as Mikasa fired off her grapplers, and the sight of her coming in with both of her pairing blades drawn and ready was startling enough to give them pause. Blood splattered the floor as she cut one of them down at the same time that Eren and Hange shot the other two. Levi kept at his task calmly, and he stepped back and ducked, covering his ears.

"It's about to blow. Be ready."

Hange holstered her gun and she covered Eren's ears with her hands, bowing over him protectively. Levi jumped away from the door and he crouched beside them, likewise shielding his ears as the spark went off. There was a bang as the explosive went off, and when the smoke cleared, the door was hanging on its hinges.

"All right, let's go," ordered Levi. He got up and he bent over for Eren to climb up on his back again. "Mikasa, you carry Hange. We aren't going to bother with the damned stairs. Instead, we'll use our ODM gear to carry us straight up to the top level. Be ready for any opposition we may encounter."

"Yes sir," agreed Mikasa. She gave a little start and she staggered as Hange suddenly jumped on her, straddling her with her arms and legs from the front. "Um…Commander Hange? This is slightly awkward."

"Oh, don't worry," enthused Hange, letting go with one arm to draw her gun. "I'm not coming onto you, my dear. I just think this way is better. I can shoot anyone coming at us from behind while you take care of forefront opponents. Makes sense, yes?"

"I see," Mikasa concurred.

Levi snorted. "Crazy yet brilliant…as always. Good idea, shitty glasses."

"Should I try doing the same?" Eren suggested into the captain's ear. "Maybe I should switch."

"No time." Levi kicked the broken door open. "You just hang on tight, Eren."

Eren dutifully wrapped himself around his lover as Levi crouched for him. "I feel like such a pain in the ass."

"Hmph, I wouldn't be here right now if you weren't worth it," muttered Levi.

Eren smiled against the smaller man's ear, taking comfort in his gruff observation. Levi went in first and he checked the staircase above them before firing his grapplers. Mikasa quickly followed suit, and the four of them began to ascend, skipping the stairs altogether. There was no opposition to the top, but as soon as Levi crouched down to apply more C-4 to blow the door to the upper level, they had a surprise on their hands.

* * *

"Move, move, move!" Mike dove away as he lit the fuse to blast the door open, and his companions scattered wisely. He peeked up when the explosive went off, and his jaw dropped. Mikasa Ackerman came charging out with Hange Zoë wrapped around her like a lover, and Levi came up behind her, carrying Eren Jaeger on his back.

"What the fuck?" exclaimed Eld before Mike could even react to the sight of the four of the people they'd come to rescue.

At the same time, several guards came pouring out of the lift and sirens started going off.

"Shit, the window's gone," Hange yelled, and she immediately began firing at their opposition. "Levi, we've got trouble!"

Levi skidded to a halt before Mike, his gray eyes widening slightly. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"Saving your ass," answered Mike. "Well, we're supposed to be. Get down, Levi."

Levi fired off his grapplers instead, anchoring them into the ceiling. He spun around in the air and he drew his pistol, flying backwards with Eren still clinging to his back. "Tell me we've got a ride, Mike."

"We—" Mike didn't get the chance to answer him. He was forced to dive aside as bullets whizzed over his head. A woman was leading the group that had emerged, and she looked mightily pissed off. She had short-cropped, dark hair and she charged right after Levi, firing her gun. Mike started to tell his fellow agent to evade, but Levi already had that part covered. Skidding through the air like a water bug on a pond, he avoided the bullets aimed at him and he returned fire swiftly.

"Sir, go to the hangar," shouted Petra to the captain. "We'll cover you! Get Mr. Jaeger out of here!"

Levi didn't question her. Mikasa had already engaged, and with Hange clinging to her and firing off rounds, she was a formidable opponent indeed. She twirled through the air on her gear, blades flashing in the restored lighting. Mike closed the distance between himself and the woman leading the enemy attack, and he felt no qualms about leveling a kick at her head. She yelled and dove aside dexterously, avoiding his strike. Growling with annoyance, Mike tried again and he was served a boot sandwich for his troubles. He saw stars as the sole of the woman's hard-soled footwear struck him across the jaw, and he staggered. He dropped low and he swept her legs out from beneath her in a fortunate hit.

He would have loved to finish the job, but his companions were on the move and there were more guards coming. Leaving the woman where she fell, Mike sprinted after his comrades. "Forget engagement," he snapped when Eld gave pause to try and cover him. "Get to the helicopter!"

* * *

Erwin heard the alarms going off, and he tensed when the hangar guards started towards his aircraft. "Oh, hell."

He had two choices available to him. He could either try and reason with them and play dumb, or he could attack. Having no time to debate the matter, Erwin quickly chose the latter idea. He flipped the switch on the console and he took aim with the chopper's artillery rounds. The guards were blasted off their feet in a spray of blood and Erwin clenched his jaw, hoping he'd made the right call. Seconds later, the panel to the interior of the facility opened up and Erwin saw his entire team charging toward him. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Levi in the lead, carrying Eren Jaeger on his back. The others came running out behind him with Mikasa in the lead, and they were being chased.

Erwin reacted as quickly as he could. He took aim again with the artillery and he fired a few rounds into the ranks of the opposition, doing his best to cover his people's retreat. He heard Hange give a choked yell as she jumped off of Mikasa, and for one timeless moment, he saw blood spray from her chest. Erwin opened up the chopper and he shouted urgently at his approaching companions, encouraging them to climb aboard. Mikasa went back and grabbed Hange around the waist, and Mike covered the two of them as the young woman helped the doctor board behind Levi and Eren.

"She's been shot," exclaimed Petra, diving in behind the two of them. "Sir, we're taking fire!"

"No shit," muttered Levi. "Get it moving, Erwin!"

"What exactly do you _think_ I'm doing?" groused the director, hitting a few switches and twisting the stick. "Mike, a bit of help?"

"Man, I've got to do everything," complained the taller blond. "I got this, boss."

Mike snatched up a bazooka from the cabin and he went down on one knee as he aimed it out the open cockpit door. There was a hiss of smoke as he fired the weapon into the ranks of their opponents, and the most fortunate amongst them dove out of the way before the explosion hit. Erwin got the chopper off the ground and he turned it around while the enemy forces were scattered. The vehicle tilted forward as he made haste towards the exit of the hangar; which was now starting to close quickly.

"Hang on," shouted Erwin. "Mike, shut the cockpit door!"

"Already on it," assured Mike, slamming said door shut. "How's the doc holding up?"

Mikasa and Eld were seeing to Hange, who lay on her back in the cabin with a stunned look on her face. "Hard to say, Commander," answered Mikasa. "She's bleeding heavily."

Eren scrambled off Levi's back and he fell to his knees before Hange, grabbing her bloodied hand with his. "Oh fuck…oh, fuck!"

"Keep…going," Hange said through bloodless lips. "Get us…away from here, Commander."

"Shit," muttered Erwin. He got through the panel and he ascended, but a quick glance confirmed his fears. The BRS were sending their own helicopters after them. His aircraft was only equipped with minimal firepower, and if Hange's little "window" had indeed expired, they were going to be in a load of trouble. "Keep her stable! I'm going to employ evasive maneuvers and—"

Another helicopter came flying right at him, and Erwin broke off with a swear as it went right over his head. "What in the everloving…?"

He only had time to identify its markings as a part of the Air Brigade fleet, and then the mystery chopper started unloading a heavy force of missiles and gunfire on the enemy group coming after them. "Just who _is_ that?"

"That would be Nanaba, sir," informed Levi smugly. "Guess she hung around, after all."

The question of who had assisted Levi and Mikasa on their rogue rescue operation was now answered, and Erwin could honestly say that he was grateful. He glanced over his shoulder at Levi, who was now crouched with Eren and the others over Hange in the cabin. "You are a goddamned genius, Levi."

"Heh, so I guess I'm not getting fired?" Levi started to dig out the medical kit to see to Hange.

"We may _all_ be fired after this," corrected Erwin, "but for now, let's concentrate on our escape and keeping Hange alive."

* * *

With Nanaba's aid, they were able to break free of pursuit. Hange's virus kept the enemy weapons offline, so they weren't able to put up much of an opposition and were forced to retreat after two of their choppers got taken down. Nanaba contacted Erwin via radio and she agreed to escort them back to Trost, so long as he agreed not to mention her involvement.

"Hell of a woman," Mike observed after sliding into the copilot seat beside his superior.

Erwin resisted a smirk, knowing that the woman of subject once had an intimate relationship with Mike. "Yes, she is. We were very lucky to have her at our back."

In the cabin behind them, Hange moaned and Erwin glanced back for a moment. "How is she?"

Mike grunted. "No vital organs or arteries were hit, at least."

"No, not that way," protested Hange. "Levi, you do it. No offense Petra, but he won't be blinded by tears trying to dig this bastard out of me!"

Erwin grimaced. "Mike…"

"Yeah, I know. I'll go." Mike got up and he joined the group administering to Hange. Eren was still holding her hand, looking like he could throw up at any moment. Petra was trying to see to her but the tender-hearted agent was half-panicked, and Eld looked on stupidly, obviously having no clue how to help.

"Need me to hold you down?" offered Mike softly when Hange's fevered, wine-tinted gaze flicked up at him.

She nodded. "Yeah, you big lug. That will help. Levi, can you handle this?"

Levi gave a single nod. "Just tell me what to do, four-eyes."

"Shouldn't we just wait until we reach headquarters and let a doctor take care of it?" suggested Mikasa.

"That would seem like wisdom, my dear," wheezed Hange, "but it's too damned…close to my heart. It needs to…come out. Eren, stop looking at me…that way. It's going to be okay."

"It sure as hell doesn't _look_ like it," Eren pointed out. "Shit, I'm so sorry…you're hurt because of me."

"No, I'm hurt because one of those fuckers shot me," corrected Hange with a cough and a weak chuckle. "And I made…myself the perfect…target. Should have stayed straddled…on Mikasa but I got…cocky."

"All right, let's save the blame game for later," ordered Levi. He dug through the medical kit and he retrieved a pair of extractors, wiping them down with a sterile pad. "Help me out here, Hange. Tell me what to do. Mike, get her shirt unbuttoned. No groping."

Mike wordlessly did as instructed, keeping his touch clinical as he parted the bloodied material to reveal the wound. He met Hange's gaze and he gave her a comforting nod. She smiled at him and nodded back.

"Okay, this is only going to be extremely painful," Hange informed, looking up at Levi. "Just ignore my screams, short stuff."

"I will," promised Levi tonelessly—but there was an uncommon softness to his gaze. "You ready?"

"I was born ready," Hange assured, squeezing Eren's gripping hand. "Now…use that thing you're holding, spread the flesh and dig the bullet out. I can feel it lodged to the left on my sternum. The minute…you get the slug out…put lots of pressure on the hole to keep me…from bleeding out."

"Got it." Levi began to do as instructed, his lips thinning with determination as Mike held Hange down. "Sorry, bitch. I know it hurts."

Hange moaned and she squeezed Eren's supportive hand, her back arching a bit as Levi found the bullet and began to pull it out. She panted heavily, tossing her head and biting her lip. "H-hurry."

"I'm trying," Levi assured her, sweat beading his forehead. He got the bullet out and he sighed with relief, dropping it carelessly to the floor and tossing away the extractor. "Hold on, Hange. Erwin, try to keep us steady!"

"As steady as possible," agreed the director, "but I can't avoid some turbulence. How is she?"

Levi pressed down on Hange's injury firmly with a trauma pack. "She's losing blood, idiot. How the fuck do you _think_ she's doing?"

"Now now, boys," gasped Hange. "Don't you fight. I'll be okay."

Eren took the rag that Mikasa had dampened with a bottle of water, and he dabbed at Hange's face with it. "You're so damned brave. Does this help at all?"

Hange favored him with a weak smile. "Of course it does. Aw, you need to stop looking that way, Eren. I'm not dead."

He sniffed and lowered his gaze. "I know, ma'am. I just…want to keep it that way."

She squeezed his hand, their skin sticky with her own blood. "You have, my dear. You and your crabby sweetheart. Thank you by the way, Levi. You…were the only one…with the stones to…"

Hange's eyes rolled back in her head, and she lost consciousness. Levi frowned down at her, and he impulsively took her other hand in his. "Don't you fucking croak on us."

Petra wiped a sleeve over her runny nose, crowding close to Eld. "She…she isn't going to die, is she?"

Levi shook his head. "No chance. Crazy bitch is too stubborn for that. Let's just keep the pressure on and watch her like a hawk, shall we? Mike, you can let go now, you giant moron. She's out."

Mike left off holding Hange down, flushing a bit. He shrugged. "First time I've ever had to do this. Don't be an asshole."

* * *

The moment they touched down at Trost headquarters, Erwin had a medical team ready to take Hange to the infirmary. He left her in their hands, told his subordinates and Mikasa to go to their quarters and he went immediately to report in on his actions…and face the consequences. He stood before the board and he explained what had happened thoroughly, expressing a calmness that he did not feel inside.

"My men followed my orders," Erwin finished. "They are not responsible for my command decisions. Their loyalty should not be punished."

"Director Smith," said one of the board members slowly, "You went directly against protocol despite our advisement. What reaction to this do you find fitting?"

Erwin lowered his bright gaze. "I suppose if it were me in your place sir, I would find it questionable enough to warrant a court martial, at the very least. However, I acted on evidence presented to me and there simply was not time to wait for approval from superiors. What we are up against is much bigger than protocol can dictate."

"So you toss away such protocol when it suits you," snorted another man with annoyance. "While your record generally speaks for itself, we simply can't let this go. You directly violated orders, and the evidence presented to us so far hasn't been enough to convince us that—"

The door banged open, and everyone turned to see Hange Zoë staggering in, dressed in a hospital gown with her left arm in a sling. She hobbled up to Erwin and she leaned against him with a sigh, ignoring his wide-eyed stare of shock.

"H-Hange," sputtered Erwin. "You ought to be resting. They _just_ saw to you and you are in no condition to be up an about."

"Screw you, Smith," she countered. "I knew you'd be playing the martyr again and I'm not about to stand for it."

"You can barely stand at all," Erwin pointed out, putting a supportive arm around her. "What in the world are you doing? How did you even get here?"

"I was really persuasive," she answered with a smirk. "As it turns out, medical staff doesn't really like the threat of neutering. So, now I'm here, and these guys are obviously raking you over the coals."

"Madame, we understand that you've been through an ordeal," began one of the board members.

Hange narrowed her eyes at him. "You understand nothing, you pretentious little turd. This man here that you're so quick to condemn did what the rest of you were too politically correct to do yourselves, and if you need more proof of how big a threat this has become, I've got it in spades."

There was utter silence. Erwin looked between the spectacled woman leaning against him and his superiors, at a complete loss for a moment. He steeled himself and he finally spoke up, just as one of the board members started to speak. "She's right. This is the woman we've had infiltrating the BRS, and while some of her proof hasn't yet arrived, she's provided more than enough for me to have made the decision to act. You've all seen the videos. You've seen the potential disaster, and yet no action has taken place. This is not a thing that can be swept under the rug and ignored. There are _titans_ held within at least one of the BRS facilities, and should they not be eliminated, there will be a serious danger to the population."

"Unless you fellows want to set up a human salad bar," Hange pointed out tiredly, "I think your attempts to play nice with the BRS is going to be a bust. This man here commands the most elite team of fighters you've got at your disposal, and you would be idiots to piss it away. Director Smith didn't act as he did just to pee on your parade. He made the right call, and if it weren't for his actions, you'd be in a hell of a bigger bind right now than you already are."

Erwin grimaced at her blunt logic, but he said nothing. Hange pushed away from him with effort, and she went to the table to place her free hand over it for support, sweat beading her brow. "I have all the proof you people need to act. The question is in whether you'll do what needs to be done or not."

The members of the brass looked at one another, each of them conflicted.

* * *

The next day, Annie got a text from Hange.

 _"Get the fuck out, and get all the clients and my associates out, too."_

She didn't question it. She told Dr. Hemsworth that she'd gotten direct instructions from the clinic owner to shut down for the day, and she cancelled all scheduled appointments. She got into her car and she cranked the engine, wondering what was really going on. The one thing that truly confused her was Hange's order not to inform one of Annie's coworkers by the name of Jason Hutch of the change. He was still in the clinic, prepping for appointments that would never occur.

"All right, Dr. Zoë," she murmured, checking her mirrors. "I'm getting the fuck out."

She barely pulled away from the curb when there was a huge explosion from behind her, and she slammed on the brakes and turned in her seat with her jaw dropping. The clinic was on fire.

"Oh…my…god…"

Hange wasn't kidding, and Jason Hutch was probably little more than a pile of ash now.

* * *

Each and every one of the kids stared at her like she'd sprouted a second head after Hange met up with them in Eren's suite and informed them that she'd blown up her own clinic.

"I…I don't understand," Armin said, finally breaking the freakish silence. "Why would you…Miss Hange, that's just insane!"

"Is it?" Hange chuckled softly, and she winced as the motion sent a throb of pain shooting through her. "They know by now that I was a mole, kiddo. I couldn't risk them getting their hands on any of my personal information…especially concerning my patients. I did it as much to protect you all as to cover my own ass."

"But wouldn't that information already have been available to them?" Reiner pointed out. "Look, I admire the fireworks but it just seems kind of pointless, right now. You just blew up your own livelihood."

"Ah, but that's where the insurance comes in." Hange reached out to pat the blond man's shoulder. "Keep up with me, Swift. The BRS didn't have shit before, save for the records of Eren and my other patients. That was the information they wanted. When I acted against them, I knew they'd figure it out eventually and go after anything they could get their grubby hands on…and I knew they had an agent in my ranks. Best not to tempt fate."

She looked at Eren, her expression softening a bit. "How are you feeling now? You've regained a bit of color to your cheeks, at least."

Eren smiled wanly at her, his emerald gaze flicking to the sling Hange still wore. "I'm feeling much better. You should concentrate on your own recovery, ma'am."

"Oh, I look worse than I feel, I'm sure." Hange assured softly. "Don't you worry about me, kiddo."

Sasha looked at Hange hesitantly. "Doctor, about this tonic of yours? I don't suppose you have any extras lying around?"

"Sasha," warned Connie softly, shaking his head.

"Hey, it's my choice," she shot back, squeezing his hand. "I want to remember you guys. I want to remember our past. It isn't fair that all of you recall it but I don't!"

Hange glanced at her sympathetically. "I'm afraid I don't have any batches whipped up right now, but they've given me access to their lab here and that can be remedied. At least they can use me, even if the brass is taking their sweet time in acting."

She chuckled. "That reminds me…I'd love to give Mike a dose of it, but he's being a stubborn bastard. Any suggestions on how to change his mind?"

"I wouldn't try it." Jean grimaced, putting an arm around Mikasa. "If he doesn't want to remember, you probably shouldn't force it. I wouldn't piss that guy off if you paid me to do it. Oh and hey…speaking of tonics and military, Mikasa, do me a favor and don't go rushing off on a mission with Levi again without telling any of us. I was scared shitless for you."

Mikasa looked between her boyfriend and Eren. "It was a spur of the moment choice. I wanted Eren out of enemy hands, and we succeeded in that. I've got no reason to fight again, so long as we're all safe now."

"You're going to be a lot safer soon," Hange predicted. "Erwin's taking you all to the Maelstrom tomorrow, and I'm coming with. If things go as we hope, the sting operation will be approved by the end of the week and the UFI will converge with their supportive military factions on the BRS. Sadly, I probably won't be recovered enough to take an active part in it, but I'll do what I can to assist via communications."

Eren took a slow breath. "I suppose Levi is going to be going in when this happens."

Hange nodded. "Of course he will. There's no point in them neglecting to have their most powerful agent in on it, dear. Try not to worry, though. Ackerman is _more_ than capable of holding his own, and he'll have Eld and Petra at his side."

"Yeah." Eren straightened his posture a little, squirming on the bed. "That makes me feel a little better about it. Too bad the whole Levi squad isn't together, though. It would be a lot better if Oluo and Gunthar were here, too."

"Never say never," advised Hange. She made an encompassing gesture with her free arm at the group of them. "Just look at how many of us got pulled together again by fate! There's always the chance for those guys to make another appearance. Sasha, if you really want it, I will be happy to brew you up a memory elixir. I'm sure these guys have already warned you about the effects, right? It isn't going to be an easy ride and I can't guarantee your sanity if you drink it."

Sasha looked at her reunited friends, her brown gaze lingering impulsively on Connie for a moment. She nodded in a determined manner, meeting Hange's eyes. "I know, ma'am. I'm willing to risk it."

Reiner shook his head and crossed his muscular arms over his broad chest. "You've got some balls, Sasha."

Hange smirked at the blond man. "So I take it you're lacking in that department, by your response?"

Reiner flushed, shooting an annoyed grimace at Jean when the guitarist snickered behind his hand. "Look, I believe what you guys have told me, but if I really was the asshole you all say I was back then, I don't think I want to remember it."

Hange shrugged. "Suit yourself. I can't really blame you, blondie." She grimaced and she gingerly rubbed at the bandaging covering her chest beneath her blouse. "I think I'm going to take a painkiller and lay down, for a while."

Sasha winced in sympathy. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be pressuring you to mix up a potion for me when you're in such a state."

Hange waved it off. "It's nothing, my dear. If you hadn't asked for it, I would have probably offered it anyway. I would love for everyone to have their memories back you know…even though a lot of them are painful to recall. At least I don't have to plot to spike your food with it the way I'll have to do with Mike if the big lug won't take it willingly."

"I really wouldn't do that," Eren suggested hastily.

Hange laughed. "I was kidding, sweetheart. I'm not quite _that_ desperate. Still, it would be best for him to take it now if I could convince him to, while there's still time before the brass moves in on our enemies. Having those memories back would help a great deal when they have to take out the titans being held in that facility, you know."

Hange tapped her bottom lip with her fingernail in thought. "Hmm, that's an angle I haven't thought to use, yet. Maybe I'll give it one more shot today before I put myself down for a nap."

* * *

"No," Mike said flatly a short while later when Hange let herself into his and Erwin's office. "No fucking way, lady."

Hange sighed, and she glanced at Erwin imploringly. "Talk some sense into him, Smith. There is a real, strategic value to doing this."

Erwin spread his hands. "Mike understands that, Hange. It's his decision, and I can't compel him to put himself through such a thing if he's unwilling."

"Yes you can," she objected, slapping her free hand on the surface of Erwin's desk. "You're his superior. Pull rank on him, chickenshit."

"Hey, he doesn't have the authority to force me to take experimental drugs," Mike pointed out. "You're even crazier than I thought. What is this even about, really? Neither of you are making any sense."

There was a brief knock at the door before Erwin could respond to the question, and Levi poked his head in. "Hey, am I interrupting something? What's four-eyes doing in here?"

"Trying to drug me," grunted Mike.

Levi came in and he shut the door behind him. Leaning against it, he folded his arms over his chest and he smirked at Hange—who was doing her best to try and appear innocent. "Yeah? You're not gonna be happy until everyone's traumatized, are you?"

"I'd feel much better if Mike had cognitive recollection of what he could be going up against," defended Hange. "You know the Trost BRS compound isn't the only one holding titans, Levi. They've got locations all over the map, and if even _one_ facility loses control of their pets, people are going to die."

Erwin frowned when she looked at him. "You know it too, Commander. You dedicated your entire being to taking down titans for the good of humanity. That's why I'm trying to sway you to my side and convince this stubborn ass to take one for the team."

"I'm well aware of the risks," Erwin assured her, "but there is no guarantee that Mike will recover swiftly enough for the operation, even if he could be persuaded to take your tonic. He's one of my best agents, Hange. It's probably best not to risk putting him in a compromised state, even with the benefits of recovered memories."

Mike stared between the two of them, and then he shook his pale bangs aside and looked up at Levi as the small, black-haired agent approached. "Does any of what they're saying make any sense to you? I feel like a sober man in a bar full of drunks, here."

Levi helped himself to Mike's chair, rolling it away from the deputy director's desk and turning it around to plop down in it. He propped his feet on Erwin's desk and he ignored the warning look he got from him. "Yeah, it sounds pretty fucked up, I know. You're out of the loop though, Mike. They aren't kidding about this. We all knew each other and worked together in a past life, and I've known that since day one of running back into you and Erwin and joining this organization."

Mikes brows drew together severely. "Okay, now I'm getting creeped out because I think you're serious."

"I am." Levi shrugged, his eyes flicking to Erwin. "Don't take _my_ word for it, though. Take it from the straight-laced bastard sitting in that chair. You really think Erwin would joke around about such a thing? Especially at a time like this."

Mike looked to Erwin. "So that prune juice concoction that gave you the shits that day gave you back your memories of this alleged 'past life' you guys are going on about?"

"It didn't give me the shits," corrected Erwin, flushing a bit. "I was in the bathroom for so long because I was trying to cope with a rush of recalled memories…most of them quite harsh. I simply didn't disagree with your presumption because I knew there was no way for me to explain the truth to you in a way that you would understand."

"He'll understand it well enough if he has a drink himself," insisted Hange.

Levi rolled his eyes. "Christ, let it go, shitty glasses. He's either gonna believe us or he won't, but if he doesn't want to choke down your fucking tonic, stop trying to push him to."

Mike nodded, still gazing between the three of them warily. "At least _one_ of you seems sane. Never expected it to be Levi on my side, though."

"Nobody's against you, friend," assured Erwin, "and by the way, I've already told Hange that I won't attempt to make you do anything you aren't willing to do. This subject needs to die now."

Hange breathed a sigh, and she shot a disappointed look at Mike. "You aren't even a _little_ curious to have your own proof of what we're trying to tell you?"

Mike snorted. "Not curious enough. I learned the hard way in college not to take mystery drugs, lady. I don't care if everyone in the office drinks your juice; I'm not doing it."

"And don't get any ideas about trying to get Eld and Petra to swallow it," warned Levi. "Erwin and I will explain how to take down the titans and nobody joining this sting operation is going to be in the dark, got it? We don't need to risk frying any of our people's brains just so you can have the satisfaction of them all remembering the past."

Hange huffed with annoyance, and she got up with a grimace of discomfort. "Fine, Captain Crabby. If you all refuse to see the benefit of my suggestion, I can't change your minds. Just remember the offer is open, and if Mike has a change of heart or any of your teammates want to go for it, it's better for them to do it sooner for recovery purposes."

"Suggestion noted," Levi said, nodding. "Now go lay your ass down and get some rest, Hange. You look like shit."

* * *

-To be continued


	24. Chapter 24

The next day just before noon, Eren heard Levi come into the suite they were staying in. He tried to stifle his vomiting, not wanting to be a bother to his lover. There was unfortunately no way to retch quietly into the toilet, and his face burned with humiliation when the bathroom door opened to admit the agent.

"I'm…fine," he lied between heaves as Levi went to him and squatted down to look at him. He averted his gaze and he stuck his head further into the toilet bowl, wishing those studious gray eyes were looking elsewhere.

 _~Yeah, real fucking attractive, puking my guts out. Way to go, Eren.~_

Levi said nothing. He got back up and he took the washcloth off of the towel rack to dampen it in the sink, and then he rolled it up and placed it gently on the back of Eren's neck. Today they were supposed to be leaving for the Maelstrom, but Eren really didn't know how he was going to be able to handle the flight if he kept having vomiting spells like this.

"Easy, Jaeger," murmured the captain, staying at his side. "Hange told us it might take a few days for you to get it all out of your system. You're just detoxing."

"This…sucks," complained Eren. He heaved one last time, having nothing left in his stomach to bring up. He was cramping now, his stomach muscles sore as though he'd done a thousand sit-ups. "At least…my abs are getting a good workout. Maybe they'll be as…tight as yours by the time this is over with."

"All right, you clown," muttered Levi as the singer grabbed some toilet paper to wipe off his mouth and blow his nose. "Let's get you back into bed."

"Aren't we supposed to be leaving in an hour?" Eren was too weak and shaken to feel any wounded pride as his lover helped him to his feet and took the damp washcloth off his neck. He leaned against the other man's small, strong frame as Levi put an arm around his waist and began to guide him out of the bathroom.

"Yeah," confirmed Levi. "I'll give you one of those nausea pills Hange gave us, though. I know you hate taking it because it knocks you on your ass, but I'd rather have you out cold than suffering the whole damned flight."

Eren sighed, laying his cheek against the crown of Levi's head. His hair smelled nice, and Eren nuzzled the soft, dark locks. "I'm sorry, Captain."

"Quit apologizing for shit you can't help," admonished Levi. He guided Eren to the bed and he took his shoes off for him once he had him lying down on it. "This isn't your fault, Eren."

"Logically I know that," murmured the singer. He gave his lover a shaky little smile as Levi finished with his shoes and placed the washcloth on his forehead. "Guess I'm just tired of having to be babied by you. I feel like such a pansy."

"Well, you didn't handle yourself like any pansy when we were busting you out of that joint," assured Levi. "You didn't even start tossing your cookies until last night. You're fine, brat."

Though he spoke in a reassuring tone, Levi pressed the back of his hand against Eren's face to check his temperature, and he frowned. "You're clammy. I'm going to call for them to send a medic to have a look at you, if I can't get Hange's ass out of bed."

"I'm okay," insisted Eren, but he shivered.

"Yeah? Cause you look about as spry as roadkill, right about now." Levi tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at him. "Don't bullshit me, kid."

Eren chuckled weakly. "Roadkill, huh? And here I thought I looked sexy with this pasty glow."

Levi's sensitive little mouth pulled into a frown. "Stop kidding around."

Eren's gaze softened on the agent, his heart swelling with love. Levi was really worried about him, and all his gruff mannerisms couldn't disguise that from Eren. He caught hold of Levi's hand as the captain adjusted the washcloth on his head, and he brought it to his lips to kiss the palm. Levi wordlessly stared down at him, and then he sighed and bent over to kiss Eren's cheek.

"I'd kiss you on the lips, but seeing as you just puked I'm going to have to wave that idea," murmured Levi against Eren's chilled skin.

"That's okay," assured the singer with a rueful little smirk. "I'd have been shocked if you'd tried, and I'd be asking who you were and what you did with my boyfriend."

"Heh. Little smartass." Levi straightened back up, and he got off the bed to go and retrieve the bottle of pills given to them by Hange. He then went into the bathroom to fill one of the plastic cups in there with some water. "Oh, I spoke with your mother a little while ago. She's really eager to see you."

"Yeah?" Eren's smile came a little easier as Levi came back to him, and he sat up with the smaller man's assistance. "How is she? I know she's got to be scared, getting carted off to some super secret military base without me."

"Yes, she's scared…but she's a tough lady." Levi handed Eren one of the pills and he brought the cup to his lips once he put it on his tongue. "She doesn't know about the BRS getting hold of you, and I'd prefer it to stay that way for now. We've got enough to deal with, without an irate mother on our hands."

Eren nodded and he swallowed the medication. "I'll keep it to myself and tell the others not to mention it," he promised. "I don't want her freaking out. What did you tell her about the delay in me and the band going there, anyway?"

"I told her there was a lot of paperwork to clear up, due to all the changes in plans. She seemed to buy it." Levi lowered his gaze in thought. "Didn't much care for lying to her like that."

Eren drank the rest of the water and he chuckled dryly as Levi set the cup aside. The captain was avoiding his gaze and Eren could guess why. "You like my mom, don't you?"

Levi shrugged, and he urged the singer to lie back down before replacing the washcloth on his forehead. "She's all right."

Highly amused despite the sickening rumble in his stomach and the threat of another vomit spell, Eren kept smiling up at him. "You're really cute when you go all shy like that."

"Who's shy?" demanded Levi. "I'm not fucking shy."

"You're totally blushing," teased Eren, smitten by the way Levi's cheeks were turning pink. "Oh, don't! Come back, sir. I promise I won't pick on you anymore."

Levi paused in his action of getting up and walking away. He turned to look down at Eren, and he heaved another little sigh and rejoined him again. "Scoot over a bit, shithead."

Eren eagerly squirmed away a bit to make room for the smaller man, and he rolled onto his side to embrace him as Levi stretched out beside him. "She likes you a lot, if that helps any. I think she wants to adopt you."

"Hmph. I'm a little old for that." Levi reached up to adjust the washcloth on Eren's forehead as it slipped. "She's a talkative woman, I'll give her that. Damned near as talkative at Hange. I could barely get her off the phone."

"Well, you're my protector and she's interested in you," excused Eren gently. "Hey Levi, what about your folks? I know you told me they're both gone now, but did you get along with them? You never told me what happened to them, either."

"I got along with them," confirmed the agent. "Especially my dad. They died in a car accident before I joined the agency."

Eren's gaze softened on him. "I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have asked at a time like this. You're already under enough stress."

"It's fine." Levi tightened his embrace on Eren. "At least you cared enough to ask."

"Of course I care. I love you, and there's still so much I don't know about your life this time around. Like how you grew up, or where you went to school, or when you even started training to join the agency. There's still so much I want to ask you, but everything has been so hectic that there just never seems to be a good time to ask you these things."

"It's really not that interesting," murmured Levi, closing his eyes. "I went to a public school and I've lived in Trost my whole life. I thought I'd join the military or the police force, but then Erwin and Mike found me and recruited me when they saw me in action. I was shocked as shit to see them again. Wasn't expecting them to be part of an intelligence agency, but it made a weird sort of sense. I sure as hell wasn't expecting to one day be assigned as your bodyguard, but that made sense, too."

"And are you glad?" prompted Eren shyly, "that you got assigned to me, that is?"

Levi's eyes slitted open to regard him, and there was a little flash of annoyance in them. "No, I'm just a glutton for punishment and I've only been fucking you for the hell of it."

Eren winced. "Ouch. I'm a sick man…you should try to pull your punches at least a little!"

The captain huffed one of those adorable little "heh's" of amusement, and he snuggled up to Eren endearingly. "Ask a stupid question and what do you expect of me? Do I really need to tell you how I feel, brat?"

Eren grinned against Levi's soft, cleanly fragrant hair and he slipped a hand down to squeeze the man's bottom. "No, but sometimes I like to hear it anyhow."

"I'm happy," muttered Levi. "Now go to sleep. That pill ought to be kicking in by now."

Eren chuckled, and then a yawn broke free as if Levi's observation somehow triggered the medication. "Wow, you're…good. It's hitting me right now."

"Good. Maybe it'll shut you up."

Eren gave Levi's ass another squeeze. "Meanie."

* * *

Mike ended up carrying Eren onto the transport chopper when he and Levi couldn't get the young man to stir once it was time to go. Under the watchful, concerned eyes of Jaeger's companions, the big blond man got him strapped into the seat next to Levi's and he gave Mikasa a quick, short nod when she looked at him questioningly.

"He's fine. Just medicated."

Hange got up from her seat and she bent over Eren once Mike was out of the way, snapping her fingers before his sleeping face. "Wow, kid. You've really got no tolerance! Levi, how many of those pills did you give him?"

"Just one," answered Levi with a shrug. "You'd think a rock star would have a higher tolerance to drugs, but I guess Eren's never been one of _those_ types."

"Hell, _we_ do more drugs than Eren ever did," Jean pointed out. When Levi, Mike and Hange all looked at him, he cringed a little. "…Or something less incriminating."

"Speak for yourself," Armin said. "I've never partied on your level, Jean."

"He's doing a lot less partying, these days," Mikasa pointed out sternly, squeezing Jean's hand.

"No kidding," muttered the guitarist. "When have I had the time? The most action I've seen since this all started was taking Commander Hange's potion and getting my memories back. Talk about a wild trip."

"Yeah, who needs acid when you've got memory juice?" Connie agreed. "I'm _still_ getting some of those memories back, too. Just when I think I've got all of them, another one comes to me. What about the rest of you guys?"

"Um, maybe we should save that discussion for later," Armin said tactfully when Eld passed by and gave pause, looking at Connie strangely.

"They're talking about drugs," excused Sasha bluntly to the blond agent, trying to cover for her companions.

Eld frowned a bit, glanced at Levi, and then shrugged. "Okay…"

Levi sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. Sooner or later, he was going to have to explain everything to Eld and Petra. They'd already overheard a few things that were raising some questions. He wasn't looking forward to the conversation. Convincing Mike that he and Erwin weren't out of their minds or on drugs had been hard enough. He could only hope that his underlings' trust in him would win out over disbelief, in the end. Erwin had shown them the video of the titan transformation process though, as Levi had been informed. He'd convinced them both to put their lives and careers at risk to break protocol in an unofficial rescue mission, so maybe he could help convince them of the rest, too.

* * *

"Eren, wake up."

The singer groaned softly as he was nudged awake by Levi. "Huh?"

"We're coming in for a landing soon," Levi informed him. "Lean over and have a look out the window. The facility is surfacing from the ocean."

Eren loosened his safety belt a bit and he leaned over his lover to follow his suggestion, squinting against the sunlight coming through the window. Down below, he could see the blue of the ocean and the churning, swirling water. His mouth fell open as he witnessed the naval base emerging from the depths, and not even the dopey effect of the medication was enough to curb his amazement.

"Wow." Eren covered his mouth on a yawn. "That's really cool."

He'd seen footage of it already, but witnessing it in person was much more impressive. He glanced across the way and he snickered a little over the way Armin was practically plastered up against the window. Beside him, Reiner was leaning over to stare over his shoulder at the sight below. Connie and Sasha were likewise entranced in the seats one row back, as were Jean and Mikasa. Hearing a snore, Eren twisted to look behind him at Hange. She was out like a light and her head was pillowed against Petra's shoulder.

"Miss Hange, you're missing it," Eren called. He undid his safety belt completely and he squirmed in his seat, turning around to reach over the back of it and nudge the doctor. "Hey, wake up! Look out the window!"

"Eren," admonished Petra gently, "let her sleep. She's exhausted."

Feeling like a jackass, Eren left off and he blushed. "Right. Sorry." Hange had done so much for him, and there he was acting like a little kid tugging at his mother's skirts.

Petra chuckled and winked at him. "You're all right. I know it's exciting." She glanced at Eld on her other side, who was sleeping just as soundly as Hange. "Well, for some people."

Eren felt a tug on his shirt. He turned to regard Levi, who was gazing at him with hooded gray eyes. Reading the warning in that gaze, Eren turned around properly and he allowed the other man to buckle him back in. "Sorry."

"Just like a little kid," muttered Levi. He glanced up from his task when Eren looked out the window again and visibly swallowed. "Feeling sick again?"

Eren nodded, hastily looking away from the window and the display of the swirling water below. It was making him dizzy. "Uh, maybe I shouldn't look at it anymore. Oh, shit…"

Levi saw the danger, and he snatched the vomit bag out of the pocket of the seat in front of Eren. He acted just in time. The singer's gorge rose at a startling rate and he barely had time to grab the bag from his lover before he started to heave.

"Damn it," croaked Eren, losing what little contents were in his stomach. His sickness spell effectively drew the attention of his friends, and he felt his face burn with humiliation as they all stopped looking out their windows to watch him get ill.

"You poor thing," Petra announced from behind him. He heard a rustle of movement, and then Petra's hand was stroking his hair soothingly.

"Buckle back in, Ral," Levi cautioned. "We're descending and there's going to be some turbulence—shit!"

Just as he said it, the chopper suddenly dropped and jerked with enough force to make Petra pitch forward with a cry. She nearly shoved Eren's head into the bag he was retching into as she struggled to right herself.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

Eren nodded mutely, unable to answer while in the middle of a heave. There was a snort from Hange as the turbulence disturbed her sleep, and Eren heard her smacking her lips. "Goodness, I went down like a tree!" exclaimed the doctor. "Did anyone shout 'timber'? Oh! Eren's sick again? You poor baby. Here, let me help…"

"Stay in your goddamned seat," Levi snapped. "All of you! We don't need people getting tossed around like rag dolls, here. I'll take care of Eren."

"Oh god," groaned Eren as another attack of turbulence made the aircraft shudder. "Huuughhh! Errp!"

"Just hang in there, Mr. Jaeger," advised Petra as she buckled herself back in. "We'll be touching down soon. Just a little longer."

Eren nodded. He really had no other choice, and he was grateful that he hadn't had more than a cup of water before leaving Trost.

* * *

Erwin smiled at his old mentor when Shadis came into the hangar to greet them himself, flanked on either side by two of his officers. "Welcome to the Maelstrom, Smith. It's about damned time you finally showed your face here."

Erwin saluted him impulsively in the old military style, and the older man raised a brow at him. "What the hell is that?"

"Ah, pardon me," excused Erwin, swallowing his disappointment at the utter lack of recognition on Shadis' face for the gesture. "That's apparently how they once saluted in the military, ages ago. I've been reading up on it, and I suppose I'm a bit disoriented. This place is amazing, sir."

Shadis smirked a bit with pride, his lined face warming up with a touch of fondness. "Must be a little overwhelming for you. I take it that kid behind you must be Jaeger?"

Erwin glanced over his shoulder at Eren, who was being supported by Levi. He nodded. "Yes sir. He's a bit worse for the wear right now, for obvious reasons."

Shadis nodded in understanding. He and Erwin already discussed the situation before the arrival, and he'd agreed to keep the details behind the delay confidential. He looked at Eren assessingly. "Not much for flying, are you boy? You aren't going to keel over on us, are you?"

"N-no sir," assured Eren in a weak voice, attempting in his pride to straighten up a bit.

Shadis nodded in approval, and his eyes raked over the rest of the band as they came up behind Eren and Levi. "So this is the whole pack, eh?"

"It is," confirmed Erwin with a nod. He fought a smile when he glanced back and saw the way each of them cringed beneath Shadis' steely gaze. "Try not to frighten them overly, Commander Shadis. They've been through hell."

Shadis harrumphed softly, and he approached the wary young people. "Listen up, all of you. I don't care how damned famous you are; you're on _my_ base and you'll follow _my_ rules. Cause any trouble and I will eject you from these facilities faster than you can blink. Clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" hollered Armin, sweat beading his golden brow. He—along with Jean, Connie and Mikasa—gave Shadis the same military salute that Erwin had given.

The naval commander's brows lowered severely, and he leaned closer to Erwin. "Are they on drugs?"

"No sir," assured Erwin, "unless you count the nausea medication prescribed to Mr. Jaeger."

"Huh. Have any of you kids ever served in the military?"

"No sir," answered Armin, while at the same time, Connie yelled: "yes sir!"

Shadis gazed at each boy in turn. "So you haven't, but you have?"

"Uh…er…" Connie flushed, looking as though he might wet himself soon.

"Which is it, son?" snapped Shadis. "Smith, are you sure these kids aren't high on something?"

"He was in the ROTC program in highschool, commander," Levi quickly excused. His gaze fell on the shaven-headed drummer coolly. "Isn't that right, Springer?"

Connie was visibly relieved, and he nodded jerkily. "Yeah…the ROTC. That's right."

"Hmph." Keith paced back and forth amongst them, and he paused in front of Sasha. "You look familiar to me, girl. Which one are you?"

"S-Sasha Blouse, sir," answered the waitress nervously. "I'm…a friend of the band's."

"A 'friend', eh?" Shadis stared her down. "How the hell did one of their groupies get mixed up in this?"

"I'm not a groupie!" Sasha squeaked after blurting the denial, cowed by the man's snapping stare even if she had no clear memory of training under him in the past. "Um, that is…well, it's complicated, but I don't even listen to rock music. I just…er…"

"She witnessed the BRS attempting to abduct the band outside of the café she works in," Erwin explained, saving poor Sasha from the hassle of trying to explain her part in all of this. "We felt it best to put her into the protection program as well, due to her having seen the faces of some of the culprits. There was also a logical chance that they might believe she had a connection to the band, which put her in further danger."

"I see." Shadis looked to Reiner. "So which one are you? The drummer?"

"I'm security," informed Braun, looking much calmer than the others. "And a roadie."

"And you're the only roadie they decided to pull into the protection program?" Shadis looked at Erwin as he spoke, though he'd addressed Braun with the question.

"Looks like it, sir."

"Reiner Braun was there the day that the BRS goons crashed their band practice," Levi informed, "so yeah, we put him in the program too, Commander."

"What a rag-tag group." Shadis walked over to Eren, eyeing him up and down. "Doesn't look like anything special to me, but the BRS obviously doesn't share my opinion."

"Very much so, sir," Erwin said. He spotted Hange stepping out of the chopper, and he nodded at her to take Shadis' attention away from Eren. "Sir, allow me to introduce you to Dr. Hange Zoë. Without her assistance, we would not have the intel we've gained and Eren Jaeger would most likely still be in enemy hands. She was injured during the rescue operation as you can see, and I've convinced my superiors to give her a place on our research team."

Keith approached her with interest, and he nodded in greeting at her. "Dr. Zoë. I've heard some damned good things about you."

She blinked, her gaze flicking between Shadis and Erwin. "Me? Really?"

"Tch." Levi rolled his eyes.

"Quiet, you grump," admonished Hange. She smiled at Commander Shadis. "Well, I'm flattered! You're still a terrifying bastard, Shadis."

Erwin cleared his throat, and Levi face-palmed. "What she means, sir," hastened Erwin to explain as the naval commander's expression darkened, "is that she's heard of what a tight ship you run. I'm sure the doctor didn't intend any insult."

"Oh no, of course not," Hange assured, having the common sense to try and correct her error. "If anything, it's a compliment! If that scowl can keep your men in line, all the better."

"You'll have to excuse her," Levi interjected when Shadis frowned at her. "She's on pain medication and she's got diarrhea of the mouth, sir. She doesn't know what she's saying half the time when she's on her meds."

Keith's stiffened posture relaxed a bit. "In that case, I'll let it slide." He turned to his subordinates. "Escort the doctor and the rock band to their quarters for some rest, and see to it they get fed. Jaeger's mother has been on my ass like white on rice, so bring the kid to her first so she can calm the hell down. Erwin, you and your people can come with me on a tour of the grounds. We'll show the kids and the doc around later, after they've rested up a bit."

Erwin nodded. "Sir."

* * *

Levi accompanied Eren to the quarters his mother was staying in, electing to get him settled in before joining the tour of the facilities. His ears began to pop as the base started its descent back beneath the waves, and he pinched his nose and blew gently to relieve the pressure. He was just in the middle of doing that when the soldier escorting them stopped in the corridor at one of the doors and knocked on it. Madeline Jaeger opened the door immediately, and before Levi could even finish popping his ears, she lunged at both him and Eren to hug them both.

"Oh, thank god," she enthused huskily, squeezing both men tightly. She pulled back and she cupped Eren's face, her worried hazel eyes taking in the sight of him. "You look so pale!"

"Just a little motion sickness, Ma," assured Eren with a smile. "I'll be okay. How have they been treating you here?"

"Practically like a prisoner," she sighed, "but I suppose that's necessary under these circumstances. Oh, Agent Ackerman…let me have a good look at you! Finally I get to meet you in person!"

Levi gave a little start when she cupped his face as she had Eren's, and he flushed when she hugged him again. "You adorable, kickass little guy," enthused the woman. "I don't know how I can ever thank you for taking such good care of my baby."

"You're…welcome, ma'am," Levi answered warily, at a loss for any other way to respond.

"Mom, I think you're embarrassing him a little," chuckled Eren when she pinched Levi's cheeks in an adoring fashion.

"Am I?" Madeline backed off a bit, smiling at Levi. "I'm sorry, Levi. I'm just so happy to meet you face to face. You're even cuter in person." She patted his cheek gently.

"Mom…" Eren started to choke on laughter.

"It's fine," Levi said automatically, his fair complexion taking on a ruddy tone. "I'd better get going. I need to get familiar with the layout of this place. Mrs. Jaeger, nice to see you. They should be bringing mine and Eren's things by soon, and I guess we'll be staying in the room next to yours."

"Oh?" She had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Maybe they should put you at least two doors down. Nobody wants their mother listening in on their nocturnal activities."

"Ma!" Now Eren was blushing as deeply as Levi, and the soldier that had brought them coughed into his hand and looked away.

"I'll make that suggestion when I join Commander Shadis and the others," Levi said hastily. "Eren, get some rest and take one of your nausea pills. I'll meet back up with you for dinner in an hour or so."

"Ugh, I don't know if I can eat," Eren confessed, pressing a hand against his abdomen. "Not sure I can hold anything down, yet."

"Oh honey, you've _got_ to eat something," Madeline insisted. "I'm sure they can bring you some broth, if you can't take anything solid. You're going to make yourself weak if you don't get some nourishment."

"Yeah, listen to your mother." Levi gave her a polite nod. "See you in a while."

Madeline put an arm around her son as Levi took his leave, and the captain heard her loud whisper to the singer. "Do I hear wedding bells, pumpkin?"

Levi's footsteps quickened, and the soldier walking alongside him smirked with amusement.

* * *

Levi caught up with his fellow agents after his soldier escort contacted Shadis to get his location, and the naval commander led them deeper into the impressive military base. Down they went to the lower levels, and Shadis pressed his hand against a panel in the wall. It scanned his prints and the solid metal door slid open to admit them. They walked through, their footsteps echoing on the grated surface of a catwalk that spiraled downwards. They passed several personnel on the way, each of them greeting their commander and his guests respectfully.

"Now, hold on to your butts," Shadis told the group when he brought the tour to a halt at what appeared to be a solid metal wall.

"What exactly are we supposed to be holding our asses over?" pressed Levi with a frown.

"You'll see in a moment, son." Shadis approached another scanner, and he activated it with his palm. There was a deep rumble, and the "wall" they stood before began to slide open. Through the thick, clear pane revealed behind the wall, a clear view of the ocean could be seen. Erwin stepped closer, his lips parting as his gaze was drawn not to the aquatic scenery, but to the gigantic vessel resting on the ocean floor within it.

"What the hell?" Eld whispered, stunned.

"Right there with you," Mike agreed, brushing his bangs out of his eyes for a better look.

Levi pushed forward, his view blocked by the taller forms of his companions. Petra joined him, equally at a height disadvantage. The marine vessel they were all staring at was about the size of a blue whale, and it was shaped almost like one of the great aquatic creatures, too. The side facing the observatory was lined with torpedo launchers, with the largest ones set lower and the smaller ones at the top.

"That is one big-ass submarine," Levi muttered. He glanced up at Shadis. "Or is it a sub? I need to brush up on my naval vessels."

"It's a sub," confirmed Shadis. "She's a beauty, isn't she? This is the Leviathan, ladies and gentlemen. She's eighteen-thousand tons of solid steel, with more firepower than any marine vessel ever created before. If we ever face naval warfare, I feel sorry for the bastards that go up against her. The Leviathan could take out a whole harbor all on her own, to say nothing of what she can do to an opposing fleet of ships or subs."

Erwin blew a low whistle, and he braced an arm against the thick, pressure-resistant glass and leaned forward. "Very impressive, sir. This vessel would be quite an asset against any off-shore enemy bases."

"Yes, but it won't be much use against the land facilities," Levi pointed out. "Not that this beast isn't impressive, but unless it can fly too, it can't be much help with taking out the BRS compound outside of Trost."

"The BRS isn't the only threat to national security," reminded Keith. "Keep that in mind, Ackerman."

Levi shrugged. "One thing at a time, sir. Right now the BRS is at the top of our agency's priority list. That reminds me; do we have your support or not?"

"The Naval Brigade will assist when and if the brass decides to move in on those geeks," assured Shadis, "as will the Army and Air Brigade. I'm surprised you're even asking."

"These days, I'm not sure who the hell's on our side and who isn't," Levi informed bluntly. "No offense."

Shadis glanced at Erwin. "Considering your superior's reports of all the security leaks your branch has had lately, none taken. Did you flush out all the maggots, Smith?"

"We believe so," answered Erwin. "Although we still haven't discovered the identity of the person that trailed Agents Jinn and Ral at the carnival that night."

"Hell, we aren't even sure they were really following us," Eld pointed out. "For all we know, Petra and I were just being paranoid."

"Better to be paranoid than careless," reminded Levi. "I guess it doesn't really matter now, though. Whoever it was, they can't follow us here."

"That's a good point, sir," agreed Petra. "Hopefully they'll soon have bigger concerns on their hands than trying to spy on us, too."

Levi nodded, glancing up at the giant vessel on the other side of the protective glass. "Let's hope."

* * *

A while later, Levi rejoined Eren in the room they had assigned to them, and as per his suggestion to Shadis, it was two doors down from Madeline's. They were brought a meal and by request, a bowl of light chicken broth was part of it. Eren managed to get it down with Levi's insistence, but he had to lie down immediately afterwards and take more nausea medication.

Their quarters here weren't as nice as the ones at the UFI headquarters, of course. The room was smaller, the furnishings sparse and there was no adjoining bathroom. That part was probably the worst of it for Eren, given his vomiting spells. They'd brought him a bucket for that, and he'd had to empty it twice before Levi came back. He was starting to feel a little better though as his body flushed out more of the toxins from his ordeal.

"Now I know how pregnant women feel when they've got morning sickness," groaned Eren softly into the pillow.

Levi had a seat on the bed beside him, and he started undoing Eren's pants. The singer blinked up at him in confusion, unsure of his intentions. "Uh, Captain?"

"What?" Levi finished tugging Eren's fly down, and he began to pull his jeans off.

"I…well, you know I'd normally be all for it, but I really don't think I can get it up for you right now."

Levi paused, glancing up from his task at Eren's confused face. "What the hell do you think I _am_ , Eren? I'm not trying to do you when you're in this condition. I just want to get you undressed so I can clean you up a bit."

"Oh." Feeling stupid, Eren blushed. "Wow, way to misunderstand, huh? I can be the biggest flake."

Levi smirked at him. "You said it, not me." He eased the singer's pants down over his hips and he pulled them off, before following up with his underwear. "Why the hell are you covering your junk, brat? It's not like I haven't seen it before."

"I know, but it's in kind of a pathetic state right now," excused Eren.

Levi snorted, and he pushed Eren's hands aside. "Unless it's turning green, you've got nothing to be shy about. Even soft, it's fucking impressive and it's not like you usually have a boner twenty-four-seven."

Eren chuckled, biting his lip. "I don't know…around you it's not usually soft for long."

"You're not feeling well," reminded Levi. "What, do you think I'm gonna dump you because this fat cock of yours isn't springing to rock-hardness the minute I get your pants down?"

"No…it's just…ah, I don't even know," sighed Eren, unable to put his concerns into words at the moment. He raised his arms over his head compliantly when Levi started pulling his t-shirt up. "Do I stink?"

"A little," admitted the agent candidly. "You've been puking all day, so you aren't going to smell like a rose. Would you rather try and take a shower, or is this okay with you?"

Eren shrugged. "Standing up right now makes my stomach twist. Sorry." He impulsively covered his groin again.

"Cut that out," admonished Levi. "You're making me feel like I'm a pervert or something. Why the hell are you being so shy all the sudden?"

Eren looked away. "You'll think it's stupid."

"Stupider than being embarrassed you don't have a hard-on?" pressed Levi. "Come on, Jaeger. What's the problem, here? I've seen you soft before, for fuck's sake. You're only human and there's not a damned thing wrong with any part of your body."

Eren flushed again, pleased by the compliment even though his bashfulness refused to go away. "It's because of my mother," he finally confessed. "I've never…been with someone with her just a couple of rooms away. Not even when I was living at home."

Levi paused in folding the t-shirt. "Oh, I see. Should have just told me that to begin with. Anyway, it isn't like the woman can see through walls and I'm not gonna jump your bones. I'm just giving you a sponge bath."

Levi put the shirt aside on top of the pants and underwear that he'd placed on their trunk. He hovered over Eren and he lowered his mouth to his for a soft kiss, sliding his hands over his bared chest. "You've got a beautiful body, Jaeger. That doesn't mean I can't look at it without losing my shit. I can live without sex for a few days and you need to recover your strength."

Eren reached up to stroke the other man's hair, feeling bad for implying otherwise. "I know that, sir. I didn't mean to make it sound like I'm accusing you of being some sort of sex fiend."

"Heh. 'Sex fiend'. If anyone's got self-control issues here, it's you." He kissed him again, and then he got up to go and retrieve the toiletries. His silvery gaze lingered on Eren's form for a moment, and to the younger man's surprise, the stare began to have an affect on him. Levi quirked a brow as Eren's groin began to stir. "What happened to Jaeger junior having no pep? Looks like he's awake to me."

Eren glanced down the length of his body, and he covered himself with his hands again. "Yeah, looks like it. That's just how strong my attraction is to you. Even sick as a dog, I can't help but get excited by you. I guess I really _am_ the sex fiend, here."

"I'm not complaining," assured Levi. "Don't worry, Eren. I'm not going back on what I said. We can keep it chaste while we're staying here, even when you start feeling more like yourself. I get why you don't feel right about being intimate with your mom staying so close by."

"Thank you," Eren said sincerely, though he wondered how long he could resist temptation once his body finished detoxing. He'd thought of little else besides Levi during his captivity, and he'd truly started to believe he would never get the chance to be with him again. The brass could give the nod any day now, and when that happened—and Eren had no reason to think it wouldn't—Levi would be heading straight into the lion's den again…this time going up against titans as well. He watched as his lover left the room with a pail for water and the soap, and Eren decided that he was just going to have to get over his misgivings when he finished recovering. He didn't want to waste a single moment of whatever time he had left with Levi.

"I already lost him once," whispered Eren to himself. Not even Levi Ackerman in all his skill was immortal. His death in their previous life was a harsh reminder of that fact. Even if he had to sneak off somewhere else on this base with Levi to do it without feeling self-conscious, Eren intended to make love to the man at least once more before the captain's duties took him away.

* * *

-To be continued


	25. Chapter 25

_Author's note: This version of this chapter has been censored to comply with FFnet's rating policy. You may read the uncensored version at Archive of Our Own._

Three days came and went. Erwin returned to Trost headquarters with Mike, Eld and Petra to do his best to persuade the higher-ups to give the green light for the mission, before it was too late. The problem was that once they waged an all-out attack on the BRS, the "cold war" between their military factions and the enemies would be officially over with. It was perfectly understandable for the Brigade leaders were hesitant to take such action, as it would most likely begin a civil war. While Erwin worked on that, Levi watched over Eren. The singer's health improved a little more with each day, until he finally regained his tan complexion and was able to eat solid food again without throwing it up.

Eren went to visit his mother's chambers on the evening of the third day, intending to invite her to have dinner with him and Levi. To his surprise, he caught her in the hallway carrying her suitcase. "Mom? You going somewhere?"

She looked up from the keycard she held in her free hand, and she smiled at him. "Oh, not far, honey. Just to the next hallway over. I'll be staying in room 12-C for the rest of our…uh…visit here."

Eren tilted his head in confusion. "What's wrong with the room you're in now? I don't get it."

Madeline set her suitcase against the wall, and she approached her son to rest her hands on his shoulders. "Nothing is wrong with the room. I just don't want to cramp your love life."

Eren averted his gaze, wincing inwardly. "Ma, you aren't cramping—"

"Oh, yes I am," she interrupted knowingly. "I know I tease you a little because it's cute when your ears turn pink, but honestly, I want you to be comfortable. I know my boy, so don't try to sell me any BS and tell me its business as usual between you and your cute agent. You've always been so twitchy about your sex life with me, ever since the day I walked in on you kissing your first boyfriend."

"Ugh…don't remind me," sighed Eren. "Mom, you don't have to move all the way over to another corridor on my account."

She chuckled. "If I want you to enjoy a healthy love life while we're here, yes I do." She patted his cheek, and she pocketed her key card. "Why don't you carry my suitcase for me and walk with me to my new room?"

Eren shrugged, admitting to himself that this really did help things. As supportive and open-minded as his mother had always been, he did have a bit of a complex about her seeing or hearing him doing sexual stuff. "Okay, if you're sure. I'll grab your suitcase."

"Oh, wait," she said when he went to collect it. "Maybe you shouldn't be lifting anything just yet. You were so sick when you first got here. I think you had a stomach virus, to tell the truth. You've never had motion sickness in the past, and it sure as hell shouldn't have lasted for more than a day if that was really the problem."

"Maybe it was a touch of the flu," conceded Eren, avoiding telling her the truth of it. "I'm almost back to full strength. I'll be fine."

"Well, at least roll it," she said uneasily as he grabbed the handle of the suitcase.

Eren smiled at her, and he obeyed. "Yes ma'am. Oh, right…I was coming to ask if you wanted to have dinner with Levi and me tonight. How about it?"

"Hmm, is he okay with that? I feel like I've been monopolizing an awful lot of your time since you got here."

"Levi's fine with it," he assured her, "and he's been busy every day, so it isn't like you've taken my time away from him. Oh, hey Sasha." He nodded at the girl when she came around the corner.

"Hi," she greeted. "Hey, have you seen Connie around? I keep getting so turned around in this place and…and…" Sasha's eyes suddenly widened, and she paled and swallowed.

"Are you all right, sweetie?" Madeline asked in concern.

Eren released the suitcase he was dragging with him, and he patted Sasha's shoulder. "What's the matter?"

"I…I just remembered something," whispered the young woman in a pained manner. "I remember…there was a little girl. Her…her mother was…oh my god!"

Eren felt a stab of alarm. "Uh, Mom, why don't you go on ahead, okay? I'll be right behind you."

"She looks awfully pale," observed Madeline. "I think she might have caught your flu, Eren."

"Maybe," he said, but he could see that what ailed his friend was not any sort of virus. She was remembering something from their previous life. Eren had worn that same expression on his own face when he recovered his first complete memory. "I might take her to see Hange."

"Well, okay. She should probably have some water." Madeline took up her suitcase and she cast one last, worried look at Sasha before parting ways with them.

Eren guided Sasha to the room he was sharing with Levi, and he opened the door and ushered her inside. "You drank Hange's tonic, didn't you?" he guessed.

She swallowed again, her wide eyes traumatized as they met his. "Yes. Last night. I…I knew from what you guys told me that some of the memories were going to be bad, but I didn't expect my first one to be of seeing a woman getting devoured in front of her daughter! I couldn't help her, Eren! I h-had to leave her behind so that I could get her daughter to safety!"

She began to cry, and she clutched at Eren when he embraced her. "Hey," he murmured, rubbing her back. "It's okay. You can get through this, Sasha. You're strong."

"It's…horrible!" she choked.

"I know. It's really hard to cope with at first, but the more you remember, the easier it's going to get. Here, I'll give you my nausea pills, okay? I don't need them anymore and they'll calm you down and help you sleep at night."

"I…okay," she agreed, but she didn't let go of him. "I'm going to remember my own death, aren't I?"

Eren nodded. "I'm afraid so. This is what Connie wanted to spare you from, but if we all got through it, so can you. You aren't alone, Sasha." He pulled away a little and he cupped her face. "Just take deep, slow breaths. Do you want me to go find Connie for you? Would you feel better with him around?"

She nodded, choking back another little sob. "Yes, please."

* * *

When Levi joined Eren a while later, he found him sitting on the bed staring dully at the floor. He closed the door behind him with a frown, and he approached the singer. "Feeling a relapse coming on?"

Eren looked up at him slowly, and he shook his head. "No sir. I just finished helping Sasha calm down. She's with Connie now."

"What was wrong with her? Is she freaking out because we're under water or something?"

"No. She's freaking out because she took Hange's tonic. She got her first memory back right when she met up with Mom and I in the hallway." Eren grimaced in sympathy. "I want her to remember, but at the same time, I don't want her to suffer."

Levi sighed, and he sat down beside Eren. "That girl was always wound tight, too. If Hange weren't recovering from a gunshot wound, I'd kick her ass for this."

"I don't think she would have given it to her if she didn't believe she could handle it," Eren said. "I know Sasha can be a little high-strung, but she always managed in the end. God, I hope she'll be all right, anyway."

"Just make sure she's got someone by her side at all times until it runs its cycle," suggested Levi. "You know how it is."

"Yeah." Eren met his gaze. "I asked Mom if we could take a rain check on dinner, because now I'm all worked up and I don't want to worry her."

"Understandable." Levi narrowed his eyes. "Now I'm hesitant to give you the news I have, though. You're already upset."

"What is it?" Eren's expression betrayed some dread. "Did the BRS try something again?"

"No, but I just spoke on the phone with Erwin before coming here," explained Levi. "We've finally got the approval of the brass to go ahead with the sting operation. We're converging tomorrow to strike the Trost compound. If that goes well, we'll move on to the next facility, and the next after that until every BRS research compound is eliminated and all surviving members are put on trial for crimes against humanity."

Eren lost some of the color he'd regained in his cheeks, and the argument that Levi feared was coming quickly surfaced as the singer got up off of the bed and stared down at him.

"I want to be by your side," Eren pleaded, his expressive eyes changing colors and gaining a ring of amber around the pupils. "Please, Captain? You said yourself that I'm as good as I used to be with the ODM gear…maybe even better."

Levi sighed, and he got up. He reached up to ruffle the singer's brown hair with rough affection. "Yes, you've done well learning how to use the gear again, especially considering what you've been learning with since meeting me is an improved version of the gear you were once familiar with. That isn't enough, though."

"I can shoot!"

Levi frowned, and he cupped Eren's face in his hands. "Hey, listen to me and pay attention to what I'm saying, Jaeger."

Eren swallowed, settling down a bit.

"Knowing how to shoot a gun and use equipment from a time long past doesn't make you ready to engage in full-blown modern combat, you shitty brat. There are going to be missiles, bombs and bullets flying every which way. This isn't like fighting titans or shooting at bottles and cans, Eren. You've never even pulled the trigger on another human being before the day we got you out of the BRS compound."

Eren frowned unhappily. "But—"

"My answer isn't going to change," Levi interrupted sternly. "You can _'but, but, but'_ me all you want, stomp your feet and hold your fucking breath until you're blue in the face. The answer is 'no' and that's final."

Eren lowered his eyes, his lashes concealing the beauty of them. He didn't say anything; he just reached up to lay his hands over the smaller ones cupping his face. Levi sighed again, and he pulled Eren's head down to bump their foreheads together and hold that position for a moment. He spoke softly to the younger man, trying to think of how to explain it further so that there would be no resentment between them tonight. He didn't want the loveable idiot sulking, when they could be making the most of their time together before he had to embark.

"Hey, stop being so clingy. I know you've gotten used to being at my side all the time and it's nice, but it can't always be that way. I can't drag you into battles like this with me. It's not like it was in the previous life. With any damned luck, we can take out any titans they've been holding without losing many people. Even if you had the training and skill to use modern, specialized combat gear and weapons, I still wouldn't bring you with me. Know why?"

"Because I'm a klutz?" muttered Eren morosely.

"Heh. No, but that's a good point too. I wouldn't do it because I still couldn't take the risk." Levi pulled back, and he pinched Eren's chin and made him lift his head to look him in the eyes. "Wouldn't matter if you were badass or not with weaponry and warfare, kid. You'd be a liability either way."

The hurt in those brilliant, peridot eyes made Levi curse softly. "Don't make that face at me, idiot. The BRS has been after you for a long time, not just recently. Doesn't make much tactical sense to bring their primary target right to their doorstep, right? Things can and do go wrong, and one of the purposes of this mission is to keep those bastards from taking you again and using you in their fucked up experiments. If you can't think of your own safety, then think of the safety of others. What do you think will happen if the enemy gains access to the coordinate through you and uses it as a weapon against rival factions and nations? Use your head."

Shame-faced, Eren looked away. "I…didn't think of it that way. I was only thinking of the old days, and wanting to fight at your side again." He looked at Levi again with his heart in his eyes. "Is there any…personal reason you don't want me going, or is it all just for practical reasons?"

Levi stared at him, not immediately getting his meaning. "What sort of personal…oh."

Eren bit his lip, looking at him with that needy puppy expression. Levi understood, now. Eren never asked him to say "I love you" back, and he couldn't count the number of times the singer had declared his love for him since the day they slept together for the first time in this life.

 _~Shit. He's really fishing now. Have I said it out loud yet? I've alluded to it, sure, but have I ever said those words that are so damned important to him?~_

As he stared at his lover, it occurred to Levi that Eren didn't _need_ for him to say those three exact words. In fact, if Levi _did_ say them, it would probably sound scripted. No, he needed to say something truer to his character, like those other instances where he'd let Eren know he loved him without the need for saying the words. Levi sighed, and his gaze softened on his lover. That was just the sort of person Eren was, and if it gave him some measure of comfort, well then he would just have to speak plainly to him.

Levi put his hands on the taller man's shoulders, and he gave them a squeeze. "I don't want you in unnecessary danger, and not just because it's my job to protect you. You're valuable to the BRS because of your genetic makeup. You're valuable to your fans because they idolize you."

Levi slipped a hand behind Eren's head to draw him down for a kiss, and then he murmured his final statement against the singer's lips. "You're more valuable to me than you are to any of them, because you're Eren Jaeger. Is that understood, you idiot?"

Eren predictably flushed, staring at him with open flattery. "Understood, Levi," he whispered, and then he embraced him, carelessly lifting the smaller man off his feet.

"Unf…easy kid," protested Levi, finding it difficult to breathe.

"Sorry." Eren set him back down on his feet. He smiled at him, and the smile was both happy and a bit nervous. He sighed, and he combed his fingers through Levi's hair. "So soft and shiny. I've always loved your hair, Captain."

"So I've got a thing for your eyes and you've got a thing for my hair," mused Levi, running his hands over his lover's chest and shoulders.

"Not just your hair," corrected Eren gently. "I love your eyes, too. Shadowed, mysterious, intense. They always seem to look right into my soul." He stopped petting his hair and he slid his hands slowly down the shorter man's back, and then he cupped his ass and pulled him tighter up against him.

"And this ass. Damn, I love this ass."

"No kidding," husked Levi. He started to swell with desire, grinding gently against Eren's thigh. The brat's pillow talk had an affect on him that he'd never been able to quite come to terms with. He didn't know if it was his inflection, the sound of his voice or the way he stared him in the eye when he delivered it, but Levi's blood was beginning to run hot. "What else?"

"Your lips," answered the taller man readily. He kept one hand cupped over his ass, and he slid the other up his back again and around to the front, tracing Levi's shoulder lightly before skimming up to his neck, then his jaw. He caressed Levi's lips with his thumb. "Yeah, this cute, pouty little mouth can get me hot just watching you talk. I could kiss you all day and never get tired of it."

"Quite the romantic wordsmith," breathed Levi. Shit, he was starting to throb. "Are you finished?"

"No, I'm not finished yet." Eren smiled engagingly at him.

"My bad." Levi smirked. "Go on, then."

 _~Just do me already, Jaeger.~_ Levi kept the thought to himself, rather than cut off Eren's poetic praise.

"Your chest," obliged Eren. He slid his free hand over said part. "And these cute little nipples on it."

Levi gasped when Eren's fingers located the right nipple and tweaked it softly through his shirt. Sometimes he hated how sensitive to the touch he was there, but the thrill that went through him made him weak in the knees. Eren smiled at his reaction, and he lowered his head to kiss Levi's neck and ear. "Hell, who am I kidding," purred the singer. "I love every single part of you, Captain. I can't pick just one thing."

Levi smirked. "Then I guess you're ready to move on from the chit-chat, right? Or are you just being a tease?" He frowned a little, remembering the mother issue. "Damn, I said I wasn't going to pressure you for sex while we're staying here, too."

Eren chuckled, and he embraced him. "Sorry to be so wordy. You aren't pressuring me, Levi. Mom moved to a different room in a whole other corridor, because she didn't want me worrying about her hearing anything we do together. I want you, Captain. I'm not letting you leave without bedding you again."

Levi pulled back just enough so that he could look up at him. "So Eren, how do you want me tonight? You can do whatever you wish with me."

"Oh, God…" Eren trembled, and the gold in his eyes deepened. "Levi, you are so fucking sexy."

"That's an opinion, not an answer to my question." Levi reached up to trace Eren's chin and jaw with his fingertips. "So what's it going to be, Jaeger?"

Eren's breath visibly quickened in reaction to Levi's seductive invitation. He parted his lips. "I want…wait, no. Not tonight." He shook his head slowly, his eyes locked with Levi's as his brows furrowed a bit. "That isn't what I want to do on the night before you head into a firefight without me."

Levi frowned, tilting his head. His caress on Eren's features slowed and stopped. "Care to let me in on whatever the hell you're talking about?"

Eren chuckled, and he lowered his gaze. Endearingly, he traced a pattern on the floor with the toe of his boot, his hands rubbing Levi's back. He started to blush, including the tips of his ears. "My first thought was to cuff you and give you a good spanking, followed by pounding your red ass until you pass out."

Levi's eyes widened slightly for a second at the blunt description, then his lids drooped again. The pale irises flashed silver with intrigue. "Sounds good so far."

"Another time," Eren promised softly. He slid his hands up, and he combed his fingers through Levi's hair on either side. "Tonight I think I'd rather make love to you…and then I want you to make love to me. We can take turns doing it until we're both too spent to go on, but I…I want…I need to…just in case…"

Levi checked a sigh, understanding what Eren was now stumbling over trying to say. The poor, sentimental bastard was afraid of losing him again, and that's why he was making this special request. While Levi had given Eren some slow loving in this life, the last time he'd gotten it from Eren was in his previous life. He remembered how crazy it drove him, though he couldn't say it wasn't enjoyable. Sweetest torture he'd ever endured, in fact.

"Eren," he said in a low, calming voice—the sort he'd used so many times before when Jaeger started having a breakdown. "Listen to me. Look at me."

The singer obediently lifted his gaze to meet Levi's stare, and the agent pinched his chin. "It's not going to be our last fuck, hear me? I'm coming back. Do you doubt my skills?"

Eren shook his head vehemently. "No! Not at all, sir. You're as badass now as you ever were. Things can still go wrong, though, like you said earlier. You could still—"

"Oi." Levi smacked Eren's cheeks, startling him and making him wince. "I don't want to hear that shit, okay? Keep it up and you'll spend the night getting your ass kicked instead of screwed, Jaeger. I'm coming back."

Levi grabbed Eren's hair, pulling it none too gently. "Say it," he demanded through his teeth.

"Y-you're coming back," whined Eren, eyes tearing up from the hair pulling. "That hurts, Captain!"

"It's meant to," Levi stated, calming immediately. "Say it again, you shitty brat. I want to hear some conviction in your tone."

This time, Eren spoke with more confidence. He was breathing heavily as he complied. "You're coming back. You'll come back to me."

Levi nodded in satisfaction, and he released his hold on Eren's hair to ruffle the thick, unruly brown locks. "That's right. Tch, you're due for another haircut. See to it before I get back, won't you?"

Eren's smile trembled a little, but he nodded. "You got it."

Levi patted his right cheek gently, just over the blushing handprint from where he'd smacked him earlier. "Then let's get into bed, shall we? Oh, and Eren…how would you feel about a compromise?"

"As long as we get to make love to each other, sure."

* * *

-To be continued


	26. Chapter 26

The next morning, Eren came back from his shower to find himself treated to a major flashback. Levi was just fastening his hooded cloak when the young singer let himself back into their room, and Eren froze in place as the captain gazed at him solemnly.

"Oh…my…god."

Levi glanced down at himself and the complete Scout uniform he'd chosen to attire himself in for the mission—complete with his cravat. "Is that a compliment, or an insult?"

Eren looked him up and down, and he swallowed. "Compliment, sir. You…you've just stepped right out of legend."

All of those old feelings were rushing back to Eren. His hero was standing here before him, looking exactly as he'd looked so long ago. Admiration mingled with nostalgia as Eren crossed the distance between them and put his arms around Levi. "You're totally a blast from the past, Captain. I didn't even know you _had_ this uniform. Oops, sorry." He reached down to adjust the blade sheaths attached to Levi's ODM gear when he bumped them.

"It's fine," murmured Levi. He returned Eren's embrace, gazing up at him with thoughtful gray eyes. "I've never actually worn this getup in the field yet. I put the uniform together a while ago, but part of me felt like some stupid kid dressing up for Halloween."

"You definitely don't look like a stupid kid," assured Eren, pulling back a little to smile at him. "Damn…I feel like I just got struck by lightning. If people aren't inspired by the sight of you like this, then they're idiots."

"Well, if it's not broke, don't fix it," excused Levi with a tiny smirk. "I might get questioned about it, but if I could be going up against titans, I want to dress the part."

Eren lowered his gaze, nodding. "Yeah."

"Hey." Levi pinched him on the chin. "Don't start getting anxious on me, brat. I'm going to be fine."

Eren shrugged, doing his best to quell his concerns. "You'll come back to me. You promised."

"That's right." Levi cupped the back of Eren's head as he nodded, and he pulled him down for a kiss. "I'm keeping that promise."

* * *

Erwin was equally stunned by the sight of Levi when the strike force began to split off into teams in the hangar, preparing for deployment. He stared at his former lover with bewilderment, suffering a similar rush of memories and feelings as he looked Ackerman up and down. Levi paused before him, folding his arms over his chest.

"What?"

It took Erwin a moment to find his tongue. "You…certainly chose a fitting look for this mission, Ackerman."

"Hmph." Levi relaxed a little, glancing over at Eren. The singer was talking to his mother a few feet away, and his friends were surrounding him. "Sometimes it's best to go old school, wouldn't you agree?"

Erwin followed Levi's glance, and he read between the lines. Levi wasn't just wearing this replica of his old uniform for ease of combat, he realized. Erwin got the distinct feeling that he'd chosen to dress this way partially for Jaeger's sake, and he understood why. Levi cut an impressive figure in the Survey Corps uniform, and it served as a reminder that he was once known by the title of Humanity's Strongest.

"Yes," agreed Erwin softly, smiling a bit. "Sometimes, old school is best."

Eren approached with his mother at his side, and he gave Erwin a respectful nod of acknowledgement before looking upon Levi again. The singer bit his lip for a moment, and then he favored Levi and Erwin with the traditional military salute from times long past.

"Good luck, sirs," Eren said.

Behind him, his companions all repeated the gesture. Shadis was passing through the ranks inspecting them and he paused to stare at the group of young people, scratching his chin briefly. "Huh. Must be a new fad."

Erwin chuckled, but his amusement faded when he spotted a pilot in blue approaching from the left. "Levi," he muttered, nudging the smaller man and nodding meaningfully in the pilot's direction.

"What?" Levi followed his gaze, and he went still. "I'll be goddamned."

There, wearing the colors of a flight lieutenant in the uniform of the Air Brigade was Gunther Schultz. He was heading for one of the fighter jets and he circled around it, inspecting it with a practiced gaze. Levi and Erwin both crossed the distance to him, and when he noticed them coming, he seemed to recognize them. He saluted sharply; not the old school salute that Eren and his friends had given them, but the modern, flat-handed brow salute.

"Director Smith," greeted Gunther. "They told me you'd be on this mission with us. You must be Agent Ackerman, right?" He nodded at Levi.

"Yeah, that's me." Levi seemed a little dazed. He gave a little start when Madeline Jaeger came up behind him without warning and hugged him. "Hey…wha-?"

"You watch yourself, young man," she said without apology, squeezing him tight enough to make him grunt. "Come back in one piece. I don't want my boy broken-hearted."

Erwin covered his lips subtly to hide his grin when Levi flushed pink. He cleared his throat and he nodded at the woman. "I'm sure Agent Ackerman will make it through with barely a scratch, ma'am. Try not to worry."

Madeline released Levi reluctantly, and she looked up at Erwin. "You see to it that he does…handsome."

She winked at him, and it was Erwin's turn to blush. "Yes ma'am. I'll give it my best."

"Ma…" Eren approached and he took his mother's hand to guide her away. "Stop macking on the director."

"Hey, a girl's got to eat," she protested with a chuckle. "Am I right, Dr. Zoë?"

Hange paused in her conversation with Armin, having just arrived on the scene. "Oh, absolutely! Live life to the fullest! Grab that bull by the horns and—"

"Nobody's grabbing anything," interrupted Levi, clearly disturbed by the direction of the conversation. He leaned closer to Erwin, watching him suspiciously as Eren dragged his mother away in a fit of embarrassment. "Don't even think about it," he muttered.

Erwin raised a thick brow. "What is it I'm not supposed to be thinking of, Levi?"

"I know that look," insisted Levi. "You are _not_ dating Eren's mother, you creep."

Erwin's mouth twitched. "I don't recall giving you authority to tell me who I can and cannot date, Ackerman. She's attractive and she seems interested. How about you allow consenting adults to make their own decisions?"

Levi glared daggers at him. "How about I change you from a rooster to a hen with one slice? It's not funny, asshole. Stop smirking."

Erwin chuckled softly, and he patted Levi's tense shoulder. "Relax. I wouldn't do that to you or to Eren. I was only teasing."

"You'd better have been," warned Levi softly. "Things are awkward enough between the three of us, without you going after her. Hands off Madeline."

"Aren't you protective," observed Erwin, still amused. He glanced over at Gunther, who was carefully occupying himself with inspection of his plane. "Well, I'd best locate my aircraft and get set up. Glad to have you on this mission, Schultz."

"Thank you, sir. Happy to be a part of it."

Gunther suddenly frowned, and he scratched his dark head as Erwin retreated. "Wait…did I tell him my name?"

* * *

Eren took slow, steadying breaths as he watched the strike participants begin to board their aircrafts. Levi was in line to get on one of the transport choppers, with Eld and Petra at his side. Erwin and Mike had gotten into one of the fighter jets together after having a word with Nanaba. Eren was glad to see that she would be participating in this mission. It made him feel a little more confident. He'd seen Gunther as well, but he couldn't think of an excuse to run up and greet him. Now he stood silently with his friends, watching as the man he loved prepared to board the chopper that would carry him into combat. Levi paused as he reached the open hatch, and he looked back at Eren for a moment. He gave the singer a brief, confident nod and he held his gaze. Eren nodded back solemnly, and he squeezed his mother's supportive hand. Hange came up on Eren's other side and she took his other hand.

"The squirt is going to be just fine, Eren," Hange murmured. "Have faith."

"Yeah," sighed Eren. His eyes gained a hint of gold blending in with the green as he watched his lover turn and board the aircraft behind his two underlings. "Faith. He's going to be okay."

Hange let go of his hand, and she gave his shoulder a little squeeze. "That's right. I just wish I could go with them, but perhaps another time."

Hange smiled and waved at Levi with her free hand, her other arm still in a sling. "Take care, grump! Give them hell for me!"

Levi stuck his hand out from within the chopper, and he gave her the thumbs-up before vanishing from sight completely. Eren stood watching as the runway team began to guide the aircrafts out. Erwin's jet was amongst the first to leave. The transport crafts like Levi's chopper were the last to head out, getting into formation with the combat choppers flanking them protectively. Eren finally turned to face his friends when the hangar began to close, preparing for the base to descend into the ocean again. He noticed Sasha's pallor, and he forgot about his own anxiety for a moment.

"You holding up okay, Sasha?"

She gave a little start, and she offered the singer a shaky little smile. She nodded and she leaned into Connie's embrace when he put an arm around her. "Yeah, thanks to you guys. Those nausea pills you gave me have helped."

Eren smiled gently at her. "I'm glad. Just hang in there, okay?"

"I will," she promised. She noticed Hange's calculating look, and she appeared to get a bit nervous again. "Um…Miss Hange?"

"Oh, don't mind me," soothed Hange. "I'm just keeping an eye on you. The first few days are the worst."

She reached into the breast pocket on her shirt and she pulled out a pack of chewing gum. Deftly retrieving a stick from it, she worked the wrapper off and popped it into her mouth before waving the pack around at the group invitingly. "Gum, anyone? It helps when your ears start popping from the pressure."

Jean reached out to help himself. "Sure, I'll take a piece. Thanks."

Hange put the gum away when nobody else took her offering, and she looked to Armin. "Well, let's get set up, shall we my dear? You and I have work to do."

Eren frowned a little. "Huh?"

Armin looked at him with determined blue eyes. "I'm going to be assisting in the control room," he explained. "Hange thinks we might be able to hack into the BRS system from here and give the strike teams an advantage. You should come too, Eren. They're going to be monitoring the mission via satellite, so you can see exactly what's going on from a bird's eye view."

"Oh, I didn't realize that." Eren suddenly felt uncertain. Did he really want to watch the battle unfold? He wasn't sure he wanted to even know about it if anything went wrong.

"Sweetheart," said Madeline softly, squeezing Eren's hand again, "if it were _my_ man going into that fight, I know I'd want to monitor it as much as possible."

Eren sighed, and he nodded. He looked around at his friends, recalling how awful it felt to be in the dark about a mission. When they'd gone up against the female titan in the past, not a single one of them had a clue about what was really going on. He didn't want to be left in ignorance, even if watching what was going on outside of the BRS compound was probably going to give him a killer case of gas.

"You're right. I'd rather see what's going on than sit in my quarters wondering and worrying. Let's go to the control room."

* * *

"All right people, we have our window," informed the leader of the jet squad. "We've just gotten confirmation that they've succeeded in jamming the BRS radars, so let's not waste it. Hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast and get our people inside as quick as possible."

Levi compressed his lips, and he crouched next to Eld as the hatch of their chopper slid open and the team prepared to drop. Eld was checking his parachute one last time, and then he helped Petra check hers as well.

"You _sure_ you don't want a chute, sir?" queried Eld once more as he glanced over at Levi. "I mean, I know that gear you use works, but maybe you should have something to slow your fall."

Levi dropped his shades over his eyes and he tightened the strap securing the eyewear to his head. "Jinn, if I needed a parachute, I'd be using this gear wrong. It'll be fine."

The blond man shrugged, and he tightened his ponytail. "Okay, boss. I just don't want to see you go 'splat'."

"I won't," promised Levi. He stepped up to the hatch, and he looked to the pilot for confirmation. When the man gave him the thumbs-up to let him know the fighter formation had begun to engage, Levi rubbed his hands together and he gripped the triggers on his gear. "All right, let's punch that hole. Keep up with me."

Eld, Petra and the five paratroopers assigned to their team shouted in agreement, and Levi dove out of the chopper. As he free-fell to the compound below, he saw other drop teams diving out of their transport crafts. Their job was to lead the attack on the ground, while the air strike team bombarded the structure from above. The risk of getting caught in friendly fire was an acceptable danger, one that hopefully wouldn't last for very long if the drop teams did their jobs right and worked in conjunction to get inside.

With Petra and Eld flanking him, Levi held his dive until he was close enough in range to fire off his grapplers and harpoon one of the towers rising up from the BRS facility. He briefly saw activity behind the windows as his ODM gear hissed and he shot past the tower in a steep arch. The element of surprise was gone. Alarms began to go off, and Levi saw the compound's hangar beginning to open. The enemy ranks began to come out to meet the threat, and the first helicopters began to emerge from the hangar. The drop teams had pulled their chutes and some of them took hits before they even made it to the ground, shot down by enemy gunfire from the ground.

"Shit," Levi snapped when he saw panels opening in the tower he was circling around, revealing artillery. He hadn't realized the damned towers were weaponized; he'd thought they were simply air control towers. He shouted to his team desperately, realizing there were just about to be a lot more casualties. "Evade! Touch down as fast as you can and take cover!"

* * *

Erwin cursed violently as the unexpected hail of explosive shells began to fire from each of the four towers. Streaking missiles filled the air from below, deployed from other panels that had opened up on the ground. The facility was better armed than any of them had expected, and it occurred to him that they had been exceedingly lucky when they rescued Eren Jaeger before. Hange's tampering with the BRS database must have disabled more than even she expected, but now they didn't have her virus to rely on.

"What the hell," Mike blurted, just as surprised as Erwin. "Why didn't that Hange woman warn us about this?"

Erwin clenched his jaw, and he performed a barrel roll to evade a missile streaking at them. "I don't think she knew," he surmised.

"Chief, we've got incoming at eight o'clock," warned Mike.

Erwin saw the two enemy choppers closing in on them, and he immediately flipped the weapon panel up to take aim with his jet's missiles. "You take the left one," he ordered Mike. The other blond nodded and he dropped his targeting visor down to begin firing the guns.

* * *

"Um…Hange?" Eren broke into a sweat as he stood next to Mikasa and watched the scene unfold on the large monitoring screen. "Th-those towers are armed!"

"Shit," muttered Hange, crouched over the computer system she was seated at. Her fingertips flew over the keyboard, and she winced with each movement. She'd taken her arm out of the sling so that she could use both of her hands in her hacking effort, and sitting beside her at another computer was Armin. He was working equally hard, and the look on his face could have been used as an advertisement for a play called: _"Terror"_.

"What do we do?" Armin cried. "I can't override the system! I'm in, but the firewall keeps blocking me from doing anything more!"

"Just keep trying," instructed Hange grimly, never taking her eyes off her own screen. "Shadis, tell your people to target those towers!"

Shadis was already in communication with the strike leaders. "Take down those goddamned towers or this is going to be one hell of a short mission! Weapons free, weapons free!"

Madeline put an arm around her son when Eren started to tremble. "Do you see your Levi anywhere in that mess, honey?"

Eren's wide, worried gaze flicked back and forth with desperation, searching through the chaos for any sign of his lover. He shook his head. "No, I don't…wait! There!" He pointed at a spot on the screen when he saw a familiar trail of smoke amongst the activity on the ground. "That's his ODM trail, I'm sure of it!"

"It is," Mikasa agreed. "He's alive."

The trail in question corkscrewed, and for one feverish moment, Eren thought he could see a glimpse of Levi's green cloak. More smoke billowed up when the fighter aircrafts unloaded a payload of missiles on one of the weapon towers, and Eren cursed when the rolling black cloud concealed what was happening on the ground.

"Son of a bitch," remarked Reiner, squinting. "I can't make out a damned thing now."

"I've got it," crowed Hange in triumph. "I've got it by the balls now! I just need to—oh, shit."

Eren looked at her frantically, and he pulled away from his mother to go and peer over Hange's shoulder. "What? What's wrong?"

Before she could answer, the satellite signal allowing them to witness the strike abruptly cut off, leaving the screen blank with static snow. Eren looked up at it in horror. "Hange, what happened to the signal? Did we lose it?"

Her lips thinned, and her typing became more frantic. "I'm afraid so, dear. That can only mean that Satellite Core knows what's happening and they're trying to interfere."

"Damn it," snapped Keith. "I want every tech on this immediately. Get us back online."

"That might be easier said than done," warned Hange, "but we'll do our best. How are communications? Did they give that the shaft too?"

Shadis checked. "Smith, do you copy? Ackerman? Does _anybody_ copy?" He went quiet, and then he met Hange's eyes with a grim shake of his head. "I don't know how the hell they managed it so quickly, but it looks as though communications are compromised now, too."

"Oh god," moaned Eren. This was turning into a disaster quickly. He looked to Hange with a pleading expression, and she took a deep breath, nodded and got back to work.

"I'm going to get us back online, Eren," promised the scientist in a determined voice. "Come hell or high water, we're not letting these bastards screw us."

"I should have gone with," whispered Eren. "I should have…snuck into the ranks or something."

"You would have been a liability," Mikasa pointed out, reminding him of Levi's very reasoning. "Trust the captain and the commander, Eren. They've survived worse odds."

Eren looked back at the screen, silently praying for it to come back on and show him what was happening. Mikasa's observation was of no comfort to him, because all he could think about right now was the memory of Levi's luck finally running out in their past life. His mind kept replaying the moment the captain drew his last breath, and the way Eren had been the last man standing, in the end.

 _~Please…not again. I can't lose him again.~_

* * *

"Eld, how is it?"

The blond man looked up from his crouching position on the floor, one hand pressed firmly against his left bicep. "It's not bad. It just grazed me."

Levi knelt down and he pushed Eld's hand away to see for himself. They'd made it to cover behind a supply building several yards from their entry goal, but now they were basically trapped between enemy forces. Petra stood with her guns drawn, ready to cover them if any of the opposition made it too close. "How is it, sir?"

Levi pulled aside the material where Eld's shirt had ripped from the bullet grazing him. "It's not that deep. Hold still while I wrap it, Jinn."

Eld nodded and he cooperated with his superior as Levi dug emergency first aid provisions out of the satchel attached to his gear. There was no time to do more than apply some ointment to it and wrap it up. They were all that remained of their original team, and while some of the ground forces had made it inside the compound, the three of them weren't in a position to make it safely inside themselves. Petra gave a little shout of alarm when a missile fired into the structure they were using as cover, and she covered her head as mortar rained down. Levi hastily yanked the hood of his cloak up and he hovered protectively over Eld until the debris stopped falling.

"Shit, we're sitting ducks here," muttered Levi. He looked toward the entrance they were attempting to get to, and then he peered at the open hangar. The latter was further away, but there were fewer enemy ranks between them and the hangar. "We might have to make a break for the hangar instead."

"Ready when you are, boss," gritted Eld. "We sure as hell won't last long out here in this mess."

Levi was about to agree with him, when one of their allied fighter jets shot past overhead. Levi peered up at it and he recognized the numbers identifying the aircraft. It was Erwin's. The director unleashed artillery fire upon an enemy chopper that was heading for Levi and company's location. Levi sighed a little with relief, thankful for the intervention whether it had been deliberate or simply a matter of coincidence.

"Right, now's our chance," Levi urged. "Start hauling ass to the hangar. I'll take to the air and cover you two."

Eld nodded, wincing a bit in pain as he drew his guns. Petra coughed as she inhaled some of the smoke in the air, and she quickly drew a handkerchief from a pocket to cover her mouth and nose with it. She and Eld took off at a desperate charge while Levi deployed his ODM gear, anchoring it in the closest structure. He felt a bullet whiz by his cheek and he flipped over, drawing his guns as he flew backwards through the air. Two enemy fighters went down to Levi's shots, but the other took cover behind the storage area that Levi and his companions had just fled from.

"Keep moving," he ordered, and then he changed his trajectory to take out another group of opponents. He ran out of ammo in his left gun before he could finish dealing with them, and he holstered the firearms and drew his blades. Twisting and turning evasively, Levi closed in on his targets and he avoided the bullets being fired at him. The expressions on their faces as the captain swooped in for the kill was priceless, and Levi had to admit he rather enjoyed their shock. Another tower went down under heavy fire and Petra lost her balance due to the resulting aftershock. Eld caught her and helped her to right herself, and then the young woman fired off a couple of shots to the left, forcing more enemies to seek cover.

"Nice one, Erwin," Levi muttered after looking up and noticing that the director was the pilot responsible for the destruction of the last tower. Levi frowned when he noticed that Erwin's jet was trailing black smoke. "Fuck…he's hit."

"Sir?" Petra called out uncertainly, also noticing that Erwin's jet was losing altitude fast.

"You two keep going," ordered Levi. "You're nearly there."

"But what are you gonna do?" Eld demanded.

Levi didn't answer him. Instead, he fired off his grapplers again, turned around and started heading after the damaged jet.

* * *

"It's no good," Erwin said, struggling to keep the jet in the air. "We're going down. Time to eject."

Mike nodded in agreement. "It was good while it lasted."

Erwin pulled a lever and he prepared himself for the ride. "On three. One, two, three!"

Both men deployed their seat ejectors, and they began to float down to the concrete below on parachutes as their aircraft streaked through the sky and crashed a short way outside of the compound. They began to immediately shoot at the opposition below as they came in for a landing, trying to avoid getting shot down themselves before they could even get their feet on the ground. Erwin hit the ground first, and he rolled and freed his parachute so as not to get it caught up on anything. He fired his guns in separate directions, taking out three would-be interceptors. He heard Mike issue a growl of challenge as the big blond charged and tackled another enemy.

"Why on earth are you going into melee right now?" Erwin scolded.

"Gun's jammed," grunted Mike, and he drove his elbow so hard into his opponent's throat that the blow snapped the guy's neck. "The other one's out of ammo."

"Oh, well that's a good excuse," conceded the director. "ah, hell."

One of the enemy choppers was closing in on them from above, and there was nowhere close by to take cover. Having no other option, Erwin took aim at the aircraft with his guns and he started to fire. "Head's up, Mike!"

"Aw, shit!" Mike started to struggle with his jammed firearm.

 _~This is not how I wanted to leave this world,~_ Erwin lamented…but his self-eulogy got hilariously interrupted by a whir of blades and a flash of green. His jaw dropped when the helicopter that had been about to fire on them went spinning out of control, its blades hacked off by Levi Ackerman's titan slaying swords. The small, dark-haired man dropped to the ground before Erwin, his knees bending to absorb the impact of his landing. He straightened up and he nodded at Erwin and Mike, his comely features appearing utterly bored.

"You gonna just stand there?" prompted Levi. "Why not just paint a target on your ass?"

Erwin swallowed. He'd heard about Levi taking down a chopper before, but seeing it happen with his own two eyes was just startling. Once again, the sexy little hummingbird had managed to impress him. "Let's move," he managed to say after recovering his wits.

"This way," urged Levi, "to the hangar. The way there is almost clear now."

Together, the three of them made their way to the hangar entry where Petra and Eld had already entered. The two of them saw the command team running toward them, and they covered them. Huffing for breath, Erwin paused once they were safely out of the open and he bent over to put his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"You're out of shape, old man," Levi observed relentlessly. "Too much time behind the desk."

"I suppose…that's true," admitted Erwin. He straightened up again with a little smirk. "I'm far from finished, though. Have you had any luck with your communication gear, Levi? Ours failed on us just before the jet got hit."

Levi shook his head, narrowing his eyes as he leaned around the corner to assess their situation. "No. I was hoping it was just us. I'll try my phone when we're in the clear. We've got to set up a rendezvous point with the rest of the ground forces, sir. Otherwise, this mission's going to be a bust."

"Agreed," sighed Erwin. "How many have made it in?"

"Most of Team 4 and about half of Team 2, best I can tell," answered the captain. "Team 3 took a different route, so I don't know about them. We're all that's left of Team 1."

"I saw them heading for the entry we were going for," Petra informed. "It looked like they were down by two heads, sir, but the rest of them did make it inside."

"Well, good for them." Levi sheathed his blades and he reloaded his guns. He turned when Erwin suddenly drew his guns and fired over Petra's shoulder with a call of warning. The young woman hit the floor and she rolled over, guns drawn. A team of twelve enemy fighters had come out from around the corner where the exit from the hangar leading into the compound was located, and they quickly took cover and returned fire.

Deciding it was better to conserve ammo, Levi deployed his ODM gear and he sped towards the enemy ranks with his blades drawn. Of course, human flesh cut far more easily than titan flesh, so within moments there was blood splattered everywhere, amidst severed body parts. Mike came up quickly behind him, also favoring the use of a blade over the ring of bullets. Eld, Petra and Erwin shot off rounds behind them as Levi and Mike brutally cut through the ranks.

"God, what a mess," stated Eld once they finished off the last of them. He nearly slipped on the blood as he joined Levi's side. "Looks like a scene from some slasher film."

Levi shrugged. "We don't have time to make it pretty. Let's go while it's clear. Keep trying to reach our allies while I try calling Shadis to see what the hell's going on."

* * *

"Yes! I've got it!"

Eren leaned over to look over Hange's shoulder at the screen. "Are you sure? You said that earlier and then everything messed up."

"See for yourself." She looked up at the observation screen as she finished, and she beamed proudly as it flickered and again displayed the BRS compound. Her smile faltered at the sight of the place. "Oh, it looks like it's gotten really messy over there."

Eren looked at the screen as well, and his eyes widened at the sight of all the destruction. There were a few downed aircrafts littering the surface of the compound, and fires were burning here and there. It looked as though the allied military brigade forces were winning out in the air, but it was impossible to tell what was going on inside.

"Hange, is there any way you could tap into the security system there to see what's going on inside?" Eren questioned. "They've got cameras everywhere and you've over-ridden them before, right?"

"Yes indeed," she answered. "Armin is working on that part right now, in fact. I've got to keep concentrating on getting communications back online. I've hijacked our feed back, but we're still not getting through to our people and that means they can't communicate with each other, either."

Eren bit his lip. "That's going to make it hard for them to synchronize. Crap."

Shadis answered his personal cell phone as Eren pondered what could be done if they couldn't get communications back online. Eren heard the commander say Levi's name, and his heart skipped a beat as he looked over at Shadis hopefully.

"Yeah, we're working on that, Ackerman," Shadis was saying. "We've got the satellite feed back, but communications are taking a bit longer. What's your status so far?"

Shadis listened intently before speaking again. "I see. Well, I'm confident that Dr. Zoë and the tech team will have everything running properly again soon. Just do the best you can. No, she didn't know about the towers, apparently. Fortunately you all handled that nicely."

"Sorry, Levi," shouted Hange, keeping her eyes on her work. "I would have told you about them if I knew they were armed like that! Oh, Shadis, can I have a quick word with him while you've got him on the phone?"

Keith shrugged, and he brought the device to her and held it to her ear so that she could keep her hands free to work.

"Levi? Hey, I forgot to ask before you left. If you find Moblit, don't kill him, okay? Bring him to me alive if you can. Well of _course_ I have a reason besides our past relationship. Give me some credit, would you? Please, just try and bring him in when you finish this mission. I promise there's an advantage to it, and I would have nabbed him myself when we were rescuing Eren if I had the time to do it."

She listened to his response, and she glanced at her screen. "It shouldn't be long. Just be careful and do what you do best in the meantime. All right, Levi, good luck!" She nodded at Shadis, and he spoke to Levi for a moment before ending the call.

"How is he?" Eren asked of the commander, wishing he'd had the chance to speak with Levi as well.

"Alive and wreaking havoc on those bastards," assured Shadis. "He's with Director Smith and they've made it in. Unfortunately, they aren't likely to be able to make it down to the lower levels without some guidance."

"They'll have that guidance," promised Hange. "I'm more worried about the BRS getting desperate and stupid before our people can eliminate the titans in that facility."

"Hey, I've got something," Armin announced. I think it's wing F-6, if I'm remembering the schematic correctly. They've got troops lined up in the halls."

Hange compressed her lips as she leaned over to look at Armin's screen at the security camera feed he'd just hacked into. "That's not good."

"Why is that not good?" Sasha asked. "I mean, besides the obvious reasons."

"Shouldn't those guys be outside joining the fight?" Jean asked in puzzlement. "Why are they hanging around in there?"

"That's the wing they've got to get through to make it to the lower levels," Hange explained. "It looks like they're not taking chances. They don't want to lose their pets and they're setting up an ambush for whoever makes it that far in. Damn it, we've got to get communications back on line and I've got to override the security locks on the bottom level."

"So work faster," urged Jean.

"Don't you crack your whip at me, son," Hange warned. "I'm doing my best."

Jean wisely shut his mouth, reminded of how terrifying Hange could be when she got pushed too far.

"I'll try contacting them by phone," said Shadis. "Just keep working."

* * *

Levi answered the call, being the only one of the group that had brought his cell phone on the mission. He swore vilely after hanging up with Commander Shadis again, and he looked to his companions. "There's an ambush waiting for us downstairs. No idea where the other teams are, either. Arlert's working on tapping into all the security cameras to help us get an idea of what we're up against."

Mike looked up at the ruin of one of said cameras, hanging broken over their heads. "Guess we shouldn't be taking out any more cameras, then."

"We have to," Erwin insisted, "otherwise the enemy will know we're coming before we make it a single floor down. Continue disabling any cameras we find. If we're fortunate, the efforts of our tech team will at least allow us to have early warning of any opposition we may find on our way down."

"I'm pretty sure that's the idea," reasoned Levi. "Shh, I hear someone coming. Be ready."

They each took position on opposite sides of the hallway, flattening themselves against the wall while Levi activated his gear and took to the ceiling. Erwin held up a hand to stop them from shooting when he saw and recognized the uniforms of their Army Brigade allies.

"It's all right," Erwin called out when the brigade team immediately started to draw on them. There were seven of them in all. "Director Erwin Smith, UFI."

The man in the lead of the other team relaxed, and he nodded at his companions. "Lower your weapons." He approached first, and he shook Erwin's hand. "General Doug Matthews. Glad you made it in here, Director. I don't suppose there's more of you where this came from?"

Levi came down from the ceiling, startling a couple of the brigade members into reaching for their guns. "Easy," he soothed. "I'm on your side. Unfortunately, we're all there is. All the ground forces got separated."

"Yeah," sighed Matthews. "We've cleared out most of the area we came from, but we got turned around in here. Our communication system's on the fritz and we've been wandering blind since we infiltrated."

"Nobody's communication gear is working," Erwin explained. "Apparently the enemy jammed our signal. They've got people working on correcting that now."

"Wonderful," muttered the general. He combed his fingers through his close-cropped brown hair. "I understand some of you have been here before, is that right?"

"Unfortunately, I've only seen the surface and the hangar myself," answered Erwin. He glanced Levi's way. "Agent Ackerman has probably been in deeper than any of us."

"Not that far," Levi said when they all looked at him. "I got in to the level they were holding Jaeger in, but I don't know the way down to the titan level. I've got a copy of the schematic on my phone, so we can use that until the navigation tablets come back online."

"Well, we're just going to have to do the best we can," insisted Erwin. "The longer this operation takes, the greater the risk of enemy reinforcements showing up before we can complete our objective."

"Right." Levi nodded. "I can get us down to where I ended up last time. Hopefully by then…shit!"

Levi's ear bud suddenly went off with a crackle of static, and he slapped a hand over it. A couple of blurted complaints from his companions revealed that they too had gotten some feedback, and then Shadis' voice came through.

"Copy? Does anybody on this channel copy yet?"

"We copy you, Commander," Erwin said quickly, his vivid blue eyes betraying relief.

"Ten-four," answered Shadis. "It looks like we're back in business. Every team needs to share their twenty and coordinate with each other. Dr. Zoë's working on sabotaging lower level security systems so that you can get through more easily. Over."

"Affirmative," said Matthews.

He gave the location of his team and their UFI companions, and then the leaders of the other surviving strike teams shared their locations as well. Hange's voice came over the frequency, and she began to give instructions on where the teams should go next to take the quickest route to their goal, while reminding them to be ready for a fight once they made it to wing F-6.

* * *

Tear gas was employed immediately when they reached the location where the enemy had set up guard, compliments of the brigade soldiers in their ranks. Levi caused additional confusion with his aerial maneuvers, though surely by now the BRS was aware that he employed some rather unusual fighting methods. They hit hard and fast, with members of the Army and Naval Brigade taking up the lead and the others coming in behind them, since they lacked the gas masks that their allies had on their person. They lost a handful of men in the process before clearing the wing out, and then they ran into another complication. Hange hadn't yet over-ridden the security system.

"Hange, we need the access to the bottom level cracked," Levi said over the communication channel. "These doors are too thick to blast through quickly and we're running out of time."

"I'm working on it, Levi," she promised. "You've got more enemies coming in, too! Satellite Core evidently decided to get physically involved, and they've sent some reinforcements. So far the Air Brigade is holding their own, but the Core has ground forces dropping down. They're bound to make it in there soon to try and stop you."

"Fan-fucking-tastic," groused Levi.

"We can't wait," Mike surmised. "Let's try to blow the door."

"Stand back," ordered Matthews as he started to prepare an explosive charge.

As the other teams backed off and covered their ears, he set the blast to go off and he joined his companions. It went off with a bang and the walls shook. Erwin looked at the door when it was over with, and he shook his head.

"It's going to take more than one explosive," predicted Erwin.

"We'll use every one we've got," answered Matthews with determination. "We're getting these doors open."

* * *

"Oh, no," Armin said with a tone of dread. "Hange, you may want to look at this!"

"What is it, dear?" She checked his screen, and her eyes widened when she saw the feed he'd tapped into. "Oh, no."

"What?" Eren hurried over to look, and he went pale when he saw what was happening. Armin had accessed one of the titan level security cameras, and as they watched, a twelve-meter class titan wandered right past the screen, loose. Small figures could be seen fleeing in lab coats, attempting to make it to the very access lift that Levi and company were working on getting into. A woman's mouth opened in a scream as she was scooped up by another loose titan and ripped in half.

"I called it," sighed Hange as people crowded around to see what was going on. "I _knew_ this was going to happen!"

"Did they let them loose on purpose?" Reiner asked. "What the hell? They'd have to know that was a bad idea!"

"I get the feeling by the way everyone's running for their lives that nobody down there made that call," reasoned Jean. "Something must have fucked up."

"Or the holding area controls were deliberately over-ridden by a certain fanatical fucker when he got word about this sting operation," Hange said, shaking her head, "just like I thought he might."

Shadis was already in communication with their allies, warning them that the titan subjects they were to eliminate were now freed from containment.

* * *

The door to the access lift slid open from the other side just as they were about to set off another C-4 charge in an attempt to blast I open. At the same time, Commander Shadis' voice came through the frequency and warned that the titan subjects were loose. Further chaos erupted as a group of panicked scientists started coming out of the lift, most of them covered in blood. Amongst them was Moblit himself, and Levi shouted for everyone to hold their fire when his companions drew their guns. The frightened BRS staff stared at the invaders with wide, wild eyes and they started to shout pleadingly, begging them not to shoot.

"What the hell is going on down there?" demanded General Matthews, holding up a warning hand to prevent his men from firing on the hapless scientists.

"Th-the test subjects," explained a woman in the scientist ranks in a rush. "They're loose! They've killed half of us already!"

Levi met Moblit's haunted eyes, his mouth compressing into a thin line. "Why the fuck would you idiots release them? What were you thinking?"

"We didn't release them," answered Moblit. "The containment malfunctioned, somehow."

"One moment we were preparing to deploy emergency protocol to keep them from getting out if this facility fell," elaborated the man that Levi recognized as Noel Clyde from Hange's shared intel. "The next moment, the holding chambers started to open and the titans woke up! Please, you have to—"

There was a sudden tremor in the floor, and Dr. Clyde lost his balance and fell against Moblit.

"How many are down there?" Levi demanded. Hange had given him a head count after being shown the titan sector, but there was no telling if that was an accurate number any longer.

"Thirteen," said Moblit, "and eight of those are seventeen meters tall…big enough to break through this floor if they sense all the people in this place and outside."

Levi sighed in exasperation. "Of course. Well, we'd best deal with it. Get the hell out of here, all of you. You're to surrender to our people once you make it topside, and don't give us any shit."

"Wait, we're just going to let them go?" Eld sputtered.

The floor shook again, and Levi braced himself, spreading his legs for balance. "We've got more important things to deal with than babysitting these clowns." He looked up at Erwin. "Am I right?"

"Agreed," said Erwin. He looked at the other team leaders. "Our biggest concern right now is seeing to it that those creatures beneath us do _not_ escape this facility. You've all seen the footage of what we're dealing with. I think it's safe to say we can't risk a single one of them getting out and making it into the civilian populace."

"I can't argue with that," said the woman leading the Naval Brigade team. "Agent Ackerman, you said that the weak spot on these things is at the nape of their neck, right?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah. It's a pretty specific area, so accuracy is important if you don't want them regenerating. I'd say we could just blow this place up, but that's no guarantee to finish off those titans. Remember the mission briefing: guns won't do much good against these things. Explosive shells aimed at the right spot will, but it's going to be messy."

Noticing the calculating look in Erwin's eyes, Levi raised a brow at him. "What?"

"I have a plan," answered the director, "but it requires for you to put yourself out a bit, Levi."

"So what else is new?" grumbled Levi.

Erwin smirked humorlessly, and he urged Levi to the side to speak with him in a low voice. "Let's face it; we aren't exactly equipped to deal with this threat. None of these men and women have ever faced a thing like this; at least not in this lifetime."

Levi nodded in accord. "That's true. Too bad we can't avoid confrontation with them."

"That's why I propose that you handle all of the cutting," suggested Erwin, "while the rest of us keep them distracted." He lowered his voice even more and he bent over to speak in Levi's ear. "I've seen you take down more than thirteen titans in a single expedition, Levi. This should be easy for you."

"Tch, we can hope." Levi glanced at Eld. "Hey Jinn, you should sit this one out. You're kind of pale."

Eld looked down at his injured arm. "I'll be fine, boss. Let's do this."

Levi shrugged. "Suit yourself. Looks like I've got most of the damage control. The rest of you keep those titans busy and try not to shit yourselves."

"Sir, are you going to be taking out _all_ of them?" Petra asked, wide-eyed.

"That's the plan," answered Levi, "at least as long as my blades hold up. If I dull all of them we'll have no choice but to use explosive shells. We'll see how it goes."

"You plan to take those monsters down with a pair of swords?" Matthews looked dubious.

"Trust me, when it comes to these things, these blades are the best weapon." Levi drew said blades and he nodded at Erwin. "Let's get down there and get this over with, chief."

* * *

-To be continued


	27. Chapter 27

When he saw one of them in person for the first time, Mike found himself weak in the knees. It seemed impossible for such creatures to actually exist, and yet there they were. He stood stunned at the lift exit, frozen to the spot as he stared up at the hulking giants slapping at the walls and in the case of the largest ones, the ceiling. Mike wasn't the only one stunned by the sight of them and the instinctive fear twisting his gut; the only one within their ranks that did not hesitate was Levi Ackerman.

"Don't freeze up," warned Levi as he fired his grapplers right into the shoulder of one of the seventeen meter titans. "Fastest way to get eaten is to just stand there like idiots!"

The titans had noticed them, and they began to shamble over to the lift. Their eyes were watery and empty of intelligence. Some of them smiled broadly in an almost childish manner, as if the uniformed humans readying their firearms were chocolate candy dumped into their laps. Levi was twisting through the air, and hot blood sprayed when his blades carved out his first target's nape. Mike hastily wiped at his face when some of the titan blood splashed on him, so heated that it was scalding.

"Look out," cried Erwin, and Mike got shoved aside by the director as a ten-meter titan charged at them. He fell and rolled with a curse, and when he gathered himself to get back to his feet, he saw that a second, larger titan had joined the first. The ten-meter one had caught up one of the men in Matthew's team, and the soldier screamed as the larger one next to it grabbed hold of one of his legs.

There was no saving him. Mike knew this instinctively, and the sight of the smaller titan's teeth starting to close over the hapless soldier's head while its larger companion began to tear the victim's leg from the socket prompted Mike into action. It was happening fast, but not fast enough. Those cries of agony were familiar to him. He'd made the same sounds himself, and the flash of memory from the last moments of his previous life shook him out of his daze. He took aim not at the titans ripping the man apart, but at the victim himself.

"You…you shot him," exclaimed one of the female soldiers when Mike ended the man's suffering with a bullet to the head.

"Mercy killing," grunted Mike, and he glanced at Erwin. "Thanks, chief."

That could have been him being ripped apart, if his boss hadn't acted so quickly. Erwin jumped away as another titan's hand came swinging down. "We need to spread out," he shouted, "we're grouped too tightly together, and that makes us easier targets!"

The ranks scattered as Erwin suggested, and Levi swooped in with a hiss of his gear when one of the largest titans tried to go for Petra. He grunted as he spun and he cut the creature down before it could even make a grab for her. There was anger in his eyes that Mike noticed right away. It seemed personal, like he took grave offense that one of the titans had threatened one of his underlings. Mike had no time to contemplate it further; he was too busy dodging another one of the titans and his heart leapt in his throat when the huge fingers brushed against his leg. That was too close. He shot at the titan's face as it tried to lunge at him, taking out the eyes and blinding it.

"Here's another one for you, Ackerman," Mike shouted.

Levi was on it within seconds, and it soon joined the SAC's first victims in death. More gunfire rattled off as the other soldiers and agents tried to avoid being grabbed, while keeping the creatures' attention off of Levi. A fourth went down, and the air was getting thick with steam as their bodies began to disintegrate oddly. It was getting a little difficult to see what was going on around them, and Mike gathered his strength and leaped for the kicking legs of one of the female soldiers when one of the titans closed its mouth around her upper body and started to straighten up to finish devouring her. Mike kicked off from the giant's chest to pull the woman free, and the two of them tumbled to the floor together. She was more fortunate than the first soldier to get caught by one of the creatures; Mike got her free before her captor could bite down and aside from being covered in titan saliva, she seemed to be okay.

"Thank you," she coughed sincerely, her freckled features pale from the experience.

Mike grunted in response, and he helped her to her feet. Someone behind them lobbed a grenade over their heads as the same titan that tried to devour the woman took another lunge with its mouth hanging open. Mike dove to the floor with her when he saw the explosive object land in the titan's mouth, and he found himself splattered with more titan blood and torn flesh as it went off. Mike looked up to find that Eld had been the one to throw the grenade, and he nodded at the other blond agent in gratitude for the intervention.

"This has got to be the most disgusting mission I've ever been on," griped Eld, his face drawn with pain as he placed his hand over his injured arm. He must have thrown the grenade with it.

"You've been hanging out with Levi too much," said Mike. "He's rubbing off on you."

Strangely enough though, Levi didn't seem at all bothered by all of the gore, at the moment. He moved from one target to the next, focused on taking them down as quickly as possible. His attention was drawn away however, and Mike realized why when Levi shouted at their director.

"Erwin, move!"

Mike turned his head fast enough to pop his neck, and he saw to his horror that Erwin was struggling in the grip of one of the biggest titans. Levi's warning had come a second too late and Erwin had been concentrating on another titan when this one came up behind him.

"Shit." Mike sprinted across the floor desperately, drawing his knife with his free hand even as he fired off some rounds at the creature lifting Erwin to its open mouth. Petra was shooting at it too, and one of the army brigade soldiers was loading a grenade launcher and swearing.

* * *

Foolish. He'd been foolish and careless. Erwin was so distracted by the way Levi was fighting that he'd failed to see the danger. The memory of the last time one of these creatures got the jump on him loomed large in his mind, even as he struggled to free his arms from the titan's hold so that he could attempt to shoot it blind and escape. Both of his lives flashed before his eyes as he was brought closer and closer to that great mouth, and he felt an eerie sort of resignation. History was about to repeat itself. He closed his eyes, his stomach churning at the smell of his captor's hot breath.

"You _fucker._ "

The growled insult came from Levi. Erwin's eyes popped open, and all he could see of his former lover was a blur of white, green, brown and silver. If he'd thought Levi's moves were impressive before, they were doubly so now. Erwin had never really seen the man lose his shit in person. He'd never witnessed for himself what it was like when Levi snapped, and he suffered some confusion as the captain began to carve the titan up from head to toe. The cuts seemed almost to just manifest on the creature's body, and it moaned in a confused way as it staggered, its hold on Erwin loosening. He fell right on top of Mike as he freed himself from the grip, and the bigger blond's knife clattered across the floor. Levi was still cutting the titan to ribbons, and chunks of its flesh flew off in different directions.

"Levi, finish it off," Erwin called as he and Mike got back to their feet. Not that he didn't appreciate the man's expressed fury on his behalf, but they couldn't afford to waste too much time on one kill.

The narrow gray eyes peered down at Erwin from a face covered in steaming blood, and Levi gave one last, aggressive growl before doing as he was told. He shot his wires into another titan before Erwin's attacker even finished falling. Telling himself not to worry about him, Erwin resumed his efforts to help. He heard shouts from behind him, and then more gunfire went off. At first he presumed it was friendly fire from his own allies, but then he saw Levi's graceful momentum through the air falter, and he saw a crimson blossom spread on Levi's right side.

Erwin turned to see a familiar woman leading a team of BRS agents. It was the same woman that Mike had tangled with on the day of the rescue operation, just before they boarded Erwin's chopper and made their exit. It seemed as though the shot fired at Levi came from her, but she went still and pale when she saw the remaining titans lumbering around. Erwin didn't wait for her to recover from her shock. He reacted without pausing to think about it, firing his gun at her with a scowl of recompense on his chiseled face.

She'd shot Levi, and Erwin wasn't feeling a bit merciful.

* * *

"Levi, stop," Erwin practically begged a while later. He'd taken down the woman that had shot the captain and the rest of her team had scattered and fled back up the lift, wanting no part in dealing with the freed titans. Levi kept at it grimly, counting down as he dispatched the remaining titans methodically. He could feel the slug wedged in his side, but he ignored the pain and powered on.

"Only…four more to go," Levi grunted, diving for his next target. All of them had to be eliminated, and he wasn't confident that his companions could handle the task with what they had.

"Damn it, Ackerman," snapped Erwin, "You've been hit! Let someone see to it while we finish off the rest of these."

"Almost done," Levi insisted. He gasped as one of the titan's arms struck him while he was changing to a new target, and he slammed against the wall.

"Sir!" Petra charged for him, with Eld close at her heels. As she shot the eyes of the nearest titan, Eld went to Levi's side and helped him to his feet.

"Captain," Eld said, "I mean uh…boss…just let our allies finish these off!"

Levi shook his head, and then he nodded meaningfully when one of said allies tried to hit the weak spot of the titan that had struck Levi. His aim with the launcher wasn't accurate enough, and while the explosion blew off half the titan's shoulder, it quickly regenerated.

"I can take them down quicker," Levi coughed. He checked his blades and he released them from the handles, replacing them with fresh ones. "Just don't get eaten while I'm finishing them off…either of you."

Erwin joined them, his eyes flicking to the blood spreading over Levi's shirt. "Levi, we can manage it. Give me your pairing blades and I'll take care of it."

Levi looked up at the director, and he hesitated. Erwin hadn't used ODM gear in this life yet, and Levi's harness was too small. "Take their legs out," he finally suggested, feeling a rush of dizziness. "Blast their damned ankles and when they fall, climb on them and cut. Just watch it and don't get careless, Smith."

Erwin took the blades when Levi released them from the connecting wires and offered them to him. He nodded at a point beyond Erwin's broad shoulders. "Better hurry. That one's up again and he's coming up behind you."

Erwin turned, and he shouted an order to their companions. "Aim for the legs! Hamstring it so that I can cut out the nape."

They cooperated with his instructions, and Levi allowed his subordinates to support him as he watched. It was a clumsy effort, but he couldn't really expect better under the circumstances. Without gear to get him ideally mobile, Erwin couldn't exactly perform the way he used to. The steam fogging the air from the carcasses of the vanquished titans was thick, reducing visibility for aim. It didn't have to be perfect, though. Titan ankles were big targets, and within moments, one of the four remaining creatures went crashing to the floor. Erwin scrambled up onto its back rather deftly for such a big guy, and he successfully made the cut in the right spot.

"Mike," Erwin called, tossing the blades down to his co-director. Mike caught them with a faintly surprised look on his face, but he didn't question the other blond's intention. As another explosion took out the smallest remaining titan's feet, Mike followed Erwin's earlier example and he sliced out the nape. He tossed the blades down to Erwin when the director sprinted over to him. Erwin took up the blades again, but he was forced to roll away when the next explosive shells went off and the titan they'd targeted began to topple right on top of him.

"Damn," Erwin muttered, evading an attempted grab. He ran around the other side of the titan, who had fallen onto its side rather than its stomach.

"You need to cut deeper," Levi called when Erwin's strike didn't quite take care of it. "Shit, watch it!"

Erwin heeded the warning, again evading as the other remaining titan tried to chomp on him while he was attempting to finish off the other. Matthews cut loose with a spray of bullets on it, distracting it from Erwin.

"You're open, Smith," shouted the general.

"My thanks."

Erwin went in for another strike, and this time he succeeded in finishing the one flailing on its side. The final titan was quick to go down after that, and the director was panting softly as he jumped down off the corpse. He brought Levi's pairing blades back to him, and he couldn't quite hide his concern as he handed them over. He knelt down as Levi sheathed the blades and secured the trigger handles back into place, and he undid the lower buttons of the captain's shirt to have a look at his wound.

"I don't think it hit any vitals," Levi assured him. "Flesh wound, chief. It's fine."

"We'll let a medic be the judge of that," Erwin told him sternly. He looked around at the carnage. "For now, let's concentrate on getting topside again and calling for air transport. I think we narrowly avoided having this mission turn into a complete disaster."

Levi coughed and nodded, and he didn't even have the strength to protest when Erwin scooped him up to carry him.

* * *

"Jaeger, I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"

Eren looked at Shadis with open dread. "Sir? Is…is my bodyguard…?" He couldn't even finish the sentence, and Madeline took his hand and held it.

"Ackerman's alive," confirmed Shadis. "He's been injured, but they've got him on a transport chopper and he's stable. The operation was a success, more or less."

"So which part was the bad news?" Connie wondered.

Shadis scratched his chin and he grimaced. "The part about Levi taking a hit, but that's only half of it. Now it's imperative that you kids stay here on this base until we've finished dealing with the BRS. We've just stirred the hornet's nest and the enemy and their affiliated supporting branches have contacted the brass, leveling accusations of warmongering. It's probably going to go to military trial by the end and Eren, you're going to need to testify against them."

Hange scooted her chair back and she got up from her console to join Eren at his mother's side. "What about prisoners? Did they bag any, or did they even get the chance?"

"They've got some prisoners in custody," Shadis explained, "but how long we can hold them here before we're forced by protocol to release them, I couldn't tell you. I'm sure as shit willing to have them face trial for the things they've gotten up to, but the situation's probably going to get complicated as hell."

"I see." Hange tapped her lip in thought, and she looked at Eren's worried face. "Oh sweetheart, you've gone pale. Maybe you should lie down."

"Yes, he should," stated Madeline in agreement. "Let's get you to your room, Eren. I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate. Doctor, do you have anything you can give him to take the edge off?"

"Pfft, of course." Hange shrugged.

"Here," offered Sasha upon hearing their exchange. She dug the bottle of nausea pills Eren had given her out of her jacket pocket. "You look a little green, Eren. Maybe you should take a few of these back."

"I'm okay," he said, though he was lying through his teeth. Levi got hurt again, and Eren wouldn't truly feel "okay" until his lover made it back and they got confirmation that he was going to be all right. He looked to his mother and he touched his hair. "Mom? Would you mind giving me a trim? I told Levi I'd get it done while he was gone, and I just now thought of it."

She smiled and she squeezed his shoulder. "Sure thing, honey. We can do that right after you've had some cocoa. I've got to say; I like your hair better this length."

"Thanks Ma. So does Levi."

Eren blushed when Hange chuckled. "Well, he does," he excused softly.

"Oh, I'm sure," she agreed mischievously. "Don't worry, Eren. Levi's tough, and if he were in real trouble I'm sure Erwin would have said something by now. You can baby him when he makes it back."

"When should they be arriving?" Mikasa inquired, looking at Shadis for the answer.

"ETA is around 2200 hours. We'll have all injured participants wheeled to the infirmary as soon as they touch down."

"Good." Hange nodded. "Please let me know when they arrive. I'll take care of Levi personally. Oh, and do you happen to have any of the prisoner identities, Shadis? There's one in particular that I believe can be of great use to us."

"No names have been confirmed yet," he replied. "That will have to wait for when they arrive. I'm guessing you must be talking about that Moby you mentioned to Ackerman earlier?"

"Moblit," she corrected. She absently patted Eren's arm. "He's going by an alias, though. Hopefully he made it through this and I can get some information from him. Eren, go with your Mom and try to take it easy. You won't be able to spoil Levi much if you're too exhausted, you know."

Eren forced a smile for her. "Yes ma'am."

* * *

Hange extracted the bullet from Levi's side as soon as they brought him in, and she sent someone for Eren once she finished up and gave the captain a blood transfusion. She sat with Levi until Eren arrived, and she gestured at the unconscious agent with a reassuring little smile for Eren.

"He's going to be fine," Hange promised, getting up from the chair by Levi's infirmary bed. She patted the chair. "Come have a seat, my dear. I'll bring you a pillow and a blanket so you can be more comfy."

Eren approached the bedside, and he stared down at Levi's pale face. "Thank you, Hange. It seems like you're making a regular habit of digging bullets out of him."

She chuckled, also glancing down at Levi. "He really should have been wearing body armor like the other agents, but I imagine he thought it would interfere with his use of the ODM gear. Ah well, they'll probably release him tomorrow. Levi heals fast."

"Thank goodness for that," sighed Eren. He sat down in the armchair that Hange had just been sitting in, and he reached out to brush Levi's dark bangs away from his brow. "He really needs to be more careful."

"Don't we all," sighed Hange. She cast one last fond look at the two of them, before turning to the door. "I'll be right back with that pillow for you, Eren."

* * *

Levi awoke early the next morning to feel the weight of Eren's head on his chest. He blinked his eyes open with a frown of disorientation, and as soon as he squirmed to have a look around him, pain flashed through his back and his right side. He grunted and went still, remembering the bullet he'd taken. He'd also suffered a blow when the titan's arm struck him into the wall; which accounted for the other aches. He looked down at the head resting on his chest, recognizing Eren's rich, mussed hair. The brat had scooted the visitor chair close to Levi's bed and he was sitting half in it, hunched over Levi with his upper half lying on him.

Despite the lingering weakness he felt and his discomfort, Levi smirked down at his lover's head and he made a quiet noise, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Tch. Just like a puppy."

Eren stirred and yawned. "Hmm?"

"You're head's heavy," complained Levi softly, his voice cracking a bit, "and your arm's putting pressure on my injury."

Eren immediately sat up; so suddenly that he accidentally triggered the reclining feature of his chair. He yelped when the footrest came up to strike the side of Levi's bed. "Shit! Sorry!"

"It's fine," sighed Levi. "Calm down."

He reached for the mattress control remote and he raised the head of the bed a bit. He patted his chest invitingly and nodded. "Go ahead. Just don't put weight on my side, all right? You walking disaster."

Eren predictably flushed, but he smiled and he took the invitation with a little sigh. "Well, you must be feeling better to be so snarky already." He nuzzled Levi's throat as he leaned back over him and laid his cheek on his shoulder. "Can I get anything for you?"

Levi was about to request some water, but he enjoyed Eren's nearness and scent too much to part from it just yet. "Nah. Just give me a chance to get my bearings."

He stroked his fingers through the singer's soft hair, and he noticed that despite it being sleep-mussed, some of the shag was gone. "Hey, you trimmed it for me like I requested."

Eren nodded, and he turned his head to rest his chin on Levi's chest so that he could gaze at him with sleepy green eyes. "Told you I would. Well, Mama did it for me. How do you like it?"

Levi sifted his fingers through the thick locks. "Looks like she did a good job. It's nice."

"I'm glad you like it. She probably would have cut it shorter if I hadn't stopped her. She wanted to take more off the top."

"That surprises me," admitted Levi. "She seems pretty free-spirited. I'd have thought she'd support the long-haired rocker shag I made you let me cut off."

"Oh, she did." Eren chuckled, and he lifted his head a bit. He reciprocated Levi's touch, stroking his black hair gently. "I told her you like it shorter though, and she kind of jumped to your support and started getting a little too zealous."

"Heh, you don't say." Levi nearly smiled. "So she approves of my taste."

"She approves of _you_ ," corrected Eren with a smirk. "She doesn't just like you, Levi. She loves you. She was almost as worried about you as I was."

Levi stared at him, not knowing what to say about that. Madeline Jaeger was certainly a likable woman, and Levi had the misfortune in both lives of losing his own mother at an early age. He lowered his gaze when his lover regarded him expectantly.

"She's a…special woman."

Eren bore an expression of blank surprise for a second, and then his mouth split into a pleased grin. "Aw, that's sweet of you, Captain."

"Shut up," groused Levi, looking away.

As if summoned by the conversation, there was a knock on the door and Madeline Jaeger opened it a crack and poked her head in. "Good morning. How's our secret agent man doing, cinnamon roll?"

Eren hastily pulled away from Levi, caught in the middle of lowering his mouth to the other man's for a kiss. "He's doing much better, Ma."

"Oh, good. May I come in for a minute? Is that okay, Agent Ackerman?"

Levi nodded. "Sure. Come on in, Mrs. Jaeger."

She smiled and she vanished for a second, and then she pushed the door open and she pulled a cart in behind her. "Good. I thought you could use some breakfast…both of you. It's not much; just some oatmeal and orange juice, but you need to recover your strength, Levi. Do you mind me calling you Levi, hon?"

Levi shook his head. "No ma'am," he answered in a soft, respectful voice. He couldn't help but admire her steadfast devotion to her son and her mental strength. She was handling this situation like a trooper. "Thanks. I was starting to feel hungry."

She smiled, and she wheeled the cart over to set up the roller tray with two bowls of steaming oatmeal and two glasses of juice. "Well, _Bon Appétit_ _! I'll just leave you boys to your breakfast and come back to collect the dishes later, but first…"_

 _She went around to the opposite side of the bed from Eren, and she reached out to lay her palm gently over Levi's forehead. "Hmm, you don't feel feverish. That's good. Dr. Zoë did a good job patching you up and administering antibiotics to stave off infection. I guess she's right about how fast you heal up."_

 _Levi was a little startled by the abrupt, motherly touch, but he didn't recoil from it. He held still for her until she withdrew her hand, and he forced a wan little smile for her benefit. "Hange is a good doctor. I'm feeling better already."_

 _Mrs. Jaeger smiled back at him. "Good. You just keep off your feet and recover your strength, Levi. I'll give the two of you some privacy now."_

 _She took another minute to circle back around and lean over Eren to kiss him on the crown of his head. "See you in a bit, son."_

 _Eren nodded and smiled up at her gratefully. "Thank you. See you later, Mom."_

* * *

 _While Eren and Levi were having their breakfast, Erwin and Mike were holding a private meeting with Shadis and discussing what their next move should be. Erwin started the conversation with a grim reminder. "We know there are several BRS facilities still out there, most of which we do not have the locations of. We've started something with this operation that is going to split the factions right down the middle, though it was inevitable for that to happen eventually, once the BRS and their associate branches start making use of their living weapons."_

 _Shadis nodded in agreement, his lined face grim. "Points that I happen to agree with, Smith. It's unfortunate that Agent Ackerman suffered injury in this strike; he would have been useful on the next one. We can't stop now, though. We must be ready to move in on the next target by next week. We can't give the enemy too much time to regroup. I've got more reinforcements ready to triangulate with our squads when the time comes for the next sting. It's best not to have so many military formations heading here to the Maelstrom and drawing attention to its location."_

 _"I agree." Erwin sipped his coffee, and his bright eyes narrowed in thought. "You say the brass has given full support. I trust Research Intel has laid their case before them and issued threats?"_

 _Shadis nodded. "Yeah. Not that the higher ups were pleased as pissed to finally cut off affiliation with those geeks, but as of now, the brass has separated entirely from Research Intel, Satellite Core and the BRS. We've got autonomy to go ahead with these operations and bring any captured representatives of those factions to full military trial. It's going to be a while before we're ready to do that, though. The most important target of interest is Rod Reiss, and nobody currently knows where he's hiding; not even Dr. Zoë."_

 _"I see." Erwin exchanged a look with Mike. "Then I take it that Jaeger is best off remaining here for a while, as this is currently the only base whose location isn't known to the enemy."_

 _Shadis shrugged. "That and it would be a helluva lot harder for those maggots to wage an attack on us, yes. It's the best option at present for those kids' safety. I don't want to risk the science geeks getting their hands on Mr. Jaeger, if their plans for him are as Hange described."_

 _"We need a contingency," Mike pointed out lowly. He shook his bangs aside to look at both men solemnly. "As tightly secured as this base is, there's always a risk."_

 _"True, but where else should we place our charges in the unlikely event that the Maelstrom gets attacked and overrun?" pressed Erwin. "There's hardly a place on this continent left where they could hide in safety without the opposing factions locating them, in time. Out in the wilderness is the only likely solution, and even then it is no guarantee."_

 _"I've considered that," assured Keith, "and I may have a workable solution. If they can't hide safely within our boarders on land or sea, then the next option is to move them trans-continentally. We take them east to the next continent over…to Askurg. We have embassies there and so far, we're still friendly with their government. Holloway would be my first choice."_

 _Erwin frowned. While many of them had ancestry originally from Askurg, including himself, their culture was very different now. The UFI sometimes worked with foreign agents from there as well, but there was no reason to believe that even Askurgian government agencies didn't have allies to the science factions within._

 _"I think that an embassy would be a risky choice of placement," he said carefully, not wanting to completely shit on his old mentor's suggestion. "It would be too easy for the enemy to discover there whereabouts with their intel."_

 _"Don't pussyfoot around," said Keith gruffly. "You aren't going to offend me with good advice, Erwin. I thought about the drawbacks of sending them to an embassy myself, and that's why I've got another plan in mind. I could set them up in a hostel in Westenfeld. The two girls running it used to be secret agents, and they've worked with the UFI in the past. They'd keep the secret safe, I'm sure of it."_

 _Erwin scratched his chin, interested. "Do you have their names? Would I recognize these ladies?"_

"Krista Lenz and Ymir Jotun," answered Shadis readily, "Though I couldn't say if that's their given names or alias ones they've been going under."

Erwin lowered his eyes, recognizing both names and more importantly, the ties that the former once had to Rod Reiss. "I hesitate to use that option, sir."

Keith frowned at him. "Why not?"

Erwin sighed, wondering how he could explain his misgivings. "The name Krista Lenz does ring a bell, and I have reason to believe she is a relative of Rod Reiss. If so, then she's compromised as an ally."

"What are your sources?" demanded Shadis.

"It's rather complicated," Erwin admitted reluctantly, "but please, trust me. I wouldn't be cautious about this if I hadn't good reason, sir. I would prefer to meet these two woman and speak with them myself, before committing to this idea as a contingency plan to hide our clients."

Shadis considered it for a while, narrowing his eyes at Erwin as if trying to read him. He then nodded, and he turned his chair to begin typing something into his computer. "All right, son. Better safe than sorry. I can arrange that if you can get the 'okay' from your superiors."

"Thank you, Commander," said Erwin sincerely. "I appreciate your trust in my judgment. I also have a proposal for you; one that involves our combat strategies."

Shadis paused, and he glanced Erwin's way. "Well, spit it out."

"I propose that we begin manufacturing Agent Ackerman's ODM gear for select troops. It's proven invaluable in combat situations; particularly when there are titans involved. Had it not been for Levi's presence when we reached the bottom of that facility, the operation might have failed and we'd have sustained far more casualties. I think that it is imperative that we train a squad of soldiers—hand-picked by Levi himself—to equip and deploy that gear when necessary. Taking down the BRS will go much smoother if we do so."

Shadis nodded thoughtfully, and he combed his fingers through his close-cropped, gray-streaked brown hair. "Yes…I can see the advantage of that. Sounds like a crash course though, Erwin. We don't have time for extensive training and Ackerman isn't going to be fit to participate on any missions for a few weeks, at least."

"That is why it's important for him to choose who trains for it, and supervise that training himself. We have amongst our ranks certain people with the instincts for it. Not to toot my own horn, but I happen to be one of them. Mikasa Ackerman infiltrated the Trost BRS facility with Levi using that gear herself. She can assist with the training. Eren Jaeger has also received personal training from Ackerman. I promise you, those whom Levi picks will be more than capable. Keep it in mind that this is not an offer to 'sell' the gear design to the military. It's Agent Ackerman's own making, and he must retain copyright and ownership of it, if this proposal goes through."

"Understood. If you think you can pull this off, then you have my support, Director Smith."

* * *

As Erwin and Mike walked down the corridor away from Shadis' personal office, the taller blond watched his superior thoughtfully. "The people you mentioned in the ranks with the right 'instincts' to use Levi's gear," he said in a low undertone, "am I one of them?"

Erwin looked at him sidelong, and he nodded. "Yes. You were in fact one of the best, my friend. Even if your mind can't recall times when you used it, I think your body could catch on quickly if you were to volunteer for ODM training."

Mike stared down at his feet, his footsteps moving along almost mechanically. "I must be nuts."

"Oh?" Erwin stopped, and he reached out to grab Mike's arm. "Why do you say that, Mike?"

With a heavy sigh, the taller man met Erwin's gaze. "When we encountered those titans on the bottom level, I watched one of the soldiers getting ripped apart by those things…so I shot him. It triggered something in me. I think…if it's true we lived a past life, that must have been how I went out. Torn apart by titans and then devoured, piece by piece."

Erwin grimaced subtly, and he laid a comforting hand on Mike's shoulder. "I'm truly sorry. You went missing in action and we never did find evidence of how you died. I don't blame you if you never want to recover that memory again."

"That's just it." Mike compressed his lips. "You've got full memories and so does Ackerman. If things are going to get as intense as we think they are, maybe it's time to put my big boy pants on and do the same. Instinct alone might not be enough. You said I was one of the best. I can't fill that title again if I'm operating on basic training and instinct, chief."

Erwin searched his eyes. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I think you already know," surmised Mike.

Erwin smirked. "Yes, but I need you to say it, and say it with conviction. You know that there's no going back from it."

Mike compressed his lips and he scratched his ever-present half-grown facial hair. His eyes were troubled as they gazed back into Erwin's, and his brows hedged for a moment, indecisively. Finally, he sighed and he shrugged his broad shoulders. "I'm in. Take me to Hange for that potion of hers that she's said she's been keeping on hold for me. We've got about a week and that's how long it takes to get most of those memories back, right?"

Erwin nodded solemnly. "Yes. You have time. You're certain? I will only ask once."

"I'm sure." Mike gave one last, hard nod. "Let's do this, before I lose my nerve. You need me with all of my memories, Smith, if we're going to see this through to the end."

* * *

Hange blinked up at the two tall blonds that entered her chambers after she bade them entry, and she hastily got up and went to the door to close it. Leaning back against it as if afraid that Mike may try to bolt, she studied him with intense, red-brown eyes.

"You aren't pulling one over on me, are you big guy? You're serious about this?"

Mike nodded stiffly. "I'm serious. Shit, I've got to be out of my mind, but I trust Erwin and if he could do it, so can I."

Hange bounced on her heels and clasped her hands together, her eyes lighting up like fireworks. "Oh-ho! _Yahoo_ , I am so pleased! Aw, come here, you big ox. Give Hange a hug!"

Mike staggered a little when the bespectacled woman glomped him with only that short, brief warning. He grinned briefly in spite of whatever misgivings he was feeling, and he hesitantly returned her hug.

"You're enthused," he observed. "Just how damned long have you been waiting for this?"

"Oh, my whole life, practically." She stepped back and she hastily wiped under her eyes, clearly emotional. "Now don't run off on me while I fetch your tonic, okay? That would be like running out on a bride on her wedding day."

Mike shot a look at Erwin sidelong. "Ever been to a wedding like this, sir?"

Erwin chuckled softly and shook his head. "Just go with it. Hange's reality is a bit different."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Levi was preparing to check out of the medical facilities and return to the sleeping quarters he was sharing with Eren. There was a knock on his door before he could finish buttoning up the shirt he'd been brought as a part of his outfit by his lover, and he spoke with a nod. "Come in."

Erwin stepped inside, and for a moment, those bright blue eyes wandered Levi's form helplessly. Levi cleared his throat when that gaze fixated on the part of his chest and torso that were still exposed. "Can I help you with something, or did you just come to eye-fuck me?"

A stain of pink spread over Erwin's high cheekbones, and he cleared his throat as well. "Uh, pardon me. It seems you're recovering quickly."

Levi nodded, resuming the task of buttoning up his shirt. "Yeah, not bad. I've got to keep changing the dressing twice a day until the sutures start dissolving. So, what's up?"

Eren came back in at that moment with the release papers, and he stopped awkwardly when he noticed Erwin was in the room. "Uh…should I wait outside?"

"No." Erwin shook his head. "This involves you too, Eren. Please have a seat so that I may explain to you both."

"Okay." Eren put the papers aside on the nightstand, and he took a seat beside Levi. He scooted close enough to subtly remind the director that the agent seated beside him was his.

Erwin's mouth twitched into a brief smirk, before his expression cooled into a polite, business-like mask. "I've put forth a proposal that we train and elite squad specifically for the elimination of any titans we may find during our future strikes against other BRS facilities. Levi, I want your permission for the manufacture of custom gear for these men and women. They will be under your command, and under your training. You will retain all rights to the design, of course. This has already been established. The Trost operation has convinced us that ordinary combat techniques aren't going to be enough. What say you?"

Levi regarded him almost warily. "I say you haven't really thought this through. Sure, certain people have the subliminal recall to use the gear but that's not always enough. Besides that, I'm in no shape to train anyone right now. Where the hell would we train, anyhow? We're miles underwater in this beast of a giant tank, boss."

"Shadis has granted use of a restricted sector that has enough space and structures to do so," answered the director, "and as for training, I wasn't proposing that you be the one doing any hands-on training whilst you are in recovery." His gaze went to Eren.

"M-me?" Eren practically squeaked, putting a hand over his chest. "You want _me_ to train people to use the gear?"

Erwin nodded. "Precisely. You and Mikasa. The two of you are the only ones aside from Levi that have had personal experience using the gear in this life."

"Hmm. Interesting proposal," muttered Levi, his pale gaze studying Eren.

"I…think Mikasa would be the better choice," Eren admitted sheepishly. "I might have had more practice in this life than she has, but I'm sure she's still got more…I mean better instincts, you know?"

Levi cupped Eren's chin and forced him to look at him. "She might be quicker and more graceful in the air, but you bring something to the table that she can't, Eren."

Eren peeked at Levi shyly, his bangs partly covering one eye. "And what's that, sir?"

"Humility." Levi smirked, even as Eren's brows pinched in confusion. "You're both determined as hell, but where Mikasa's not going to be very forgiving of mistakes, you _will_ be. You'll be able to relate to 'newbies' better than she could, brat. Think about it. Between the two of you, I trust you to handle the training. You can show them the basics, while Mikasa can push them to try more creative maneuvers. I think you'll balance one another out just fine."

Erwin nodded, finding Levi's logic sound. "Yes. The two of you would make a good initial training team. Mike can assist later."

Levi took his attention away from his blushing lover to look up at the director. "Mike?"

"Yes. He drank Hange's tonic and he should be recovered enough to function as needed within a week."

Levi's eyes narrowed. "That woman isn't going to be happy until each and every last one of us drinks that shit."

"She's made a valid strategic point though, Levi," Erwin advised. "If we're to make full use of those who were once scouts, returning all of their memories will be a means to turn the tide."

"Or it could put them in the hospital." Levi shrugged, and he unconsciously leaned against Eren's supportive form. "We've been lucky so far, chief. Nobody's cracked yet, but if they do, we'll be down potential fighters. I hope to hell you aren't about to suggest I drag Ral and Jinn into this drug party."

"While it might be to our advantage to do so, I would never suggest sneaking it on them or attempting to force it." Erwin frowned, and he tapped his fingers against his lips in thought. "Still, I presume you would want them amongst your team. Whether they have their memories of our past life intact or not, they have the advantage of being naturals with the gear."

Levi nodded in accordance. "Yeah, they do. I definitely want them on this squad that you're proposing. Also, if you can get your hands on Gunther to re-assign him I'd appreciate that."

Erwin smirked at him. "You have my word, Levi. If I could locate and bring Oluo Bozado to you as well, I would."

Levi grimaced slightly, appreciating the nod Erwin gave to his former comrade in arms. "Hell, maybe he didn't even get reborn like we did, or maybe this life's path took him to a completely different place. He could be a fucking fry cook somewhere, for all I know."

Eren gave him a squeeze. "Still, you've almost got your whole 'Levi squad' back, Captain. With them on your side, I'm sure everything will go much better."

One corner of Levi's mouth turned up the slightest bit as he looked sidelong at his doting lover. "Yeah. Good point. So are you up for this, Eren? Think you can help us train these rookies to use the gear?"

Eren nodded with determination, his eyes brightening with resolve. "I will, sir. I just wish I could participate myself in the upcoming fights."

"You know why you can't," pressed Levi softly. "Look, I'd love you on my team, but—"

"I know," interjected Eren solemnly. "I'd be a liability. That's not your fault, and I get that. If this is how I can help, then at least I'm able to contribute something. You just focus on recovering, okay?"

Levi smirked fully at him, and he ruffled his hair with affection. "Heh. Shitty brat. Thank you."

Erwin nodded solemnly. "Yes, thank you. Now please excuse me. I'll give the two of you some privacy and relay this agreement to Shadis."

Erwin left the room and he closed the door behind him. Eren leaned his head against Levi's thoughtfully, frowning a little. "Hey, was I being too obvious? Think I made him uncomfortable and got a little too…uh…jealous?"

Levi turned his face to plant a kiss on the crown of the singer's head. "Just jealous enough, kid. I don't mind you reminding him I'm yours. Erwin got all gooey-eyed on me at the end of that mission, so a reminder now and then isn't a bad thing."

"Gooey-eyed, huh?" Eren pulled away slightly and he bit his lip as he looked at the smaller man, scanning him up and down. "I can't really blame him. You got hurt, and he still loves you."

"God, you'd have torn that place down around our ears if you'd been there when that happened," predicted Levi dryly. He met and held Eren's gaze. "It's fine, Jaeger. I'm glad you've been this cool with his lingering feelings."

Eren shrugged, and he lowered his gaze as he rubbed Levi's knee. "I can't blame him for being smitten with you still, Levi. At least he hasn't tried to push his boundaries."

Levi snorted softly, and he shook his head. "Like that man ever would. Erwin's a perfect fucking gentleman. Believe it or not though, he likes you. He respects you."

Eren smiled a little, lifting his gaze to meet Levi's again. "You think so?" He still admired Erwin Smith, even though the man's past relationship with Levi muddied the waters a bit. Much like the captain, Erwin was still a hero in Eren's eyes.

"I know so," assured Levi softly. He cupped Eren's jaw and he kissed him softly on the lips. "He'd take a bullet for you, Eren. Believe that."

Eren nuzzled Levi's hair and he embraced him gently. "I do. Oh, and speaking of bullets…you've got to try and stop attracting them to you…seriously. Stop getting shot!"

"Tch. Maybe that's my thing," murmured Levi. "You're one to talk, though. You keep getting kidnapped."

Eren laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess I do. Sorry about that."

* * *

-To be continued


	28. Chapter 28

_Author's note: This chapter has been censored to exclude a detailed lemon scene. For the uncensored version, visit my account at Archive of our own (same pen name)_

A few days later, Erwin asked Levi to keep an eye on Mike for him, as he needed to take a continental flight to Askurg. He called Levi into his temporary office and he offered him a beverage as the smaller man sat down. "I'm going to meet up with the people running the safe house that Shadis and I have arranged in case things go sour here," explained Erwin as Levi sweetened his cup of tea.

Levi paused, glancing up from stirring the honey through his drink. "Ymir and Historia, right?"

"Yes, though Historia is apparently going by her old alias now." Erwin opened up the folder sitting on his desk, and he turned it around to slide it towards his guest. "They've both evidently had connections with the UFI in the past, but given Historia…that is, Krista's lineage, I think it's best for me to feel them out before finalizing their hostel as a safe option."

Levi nodded. "Smart. Were you able to dig up any proof that Lenz has any contact with her creepy old man yet?"

"No. The records that we've found thus far indicate that she was adopted as a baby, so it's quite possible that she has no idea who her birth father is in this life. I would like to believe that she and Ymir are trustworthy, but as you know, what held true in the past doesn't always hold true in this life."

Levi looked down at the records presented to him, narrowing his eyes as he scanned over them. "Yeah, and Ymir had more than a few sketchy moments in the past, too. We've had enough moles in our ranks by now to make me suspicious of everyone. Glad you're taking the initiative in this."

"I'll do my best to determine their allegiance before giving them any detailed information," promised Erwin. "In the meantime, I would like for you and Hange to keep a close eye on Mike for me while I'm gone. I don't plan for it to be longer than a three day trip, but delays can happen, and he's still in the beginning stages of recovering his memory."

"Right. We'll babysit the bloodhound for you, chief. Doubt he'll be very cooperative, though."

Erwin smirked. "Mike does pride himself on being the 'strong and silent' type, but speaking from personal experience, there will be moments when he's going to need an anchor. I apologize for dropping yet another responsibility into your lap when you're still recovering, Levi."

"Heh, I'm used to being overworked, boss." Levi waved it away and had a sip of his tea. "Hange and I can divide 'Mike Watch' duty and work out a schedule so we can still take care of our other shit. I'm sure she'll be receptive to it, given she's the one that poisoned him with that memory grog in the first place."

"True." Erwin closed the records folder and he filed it away with other physical documentation. "Speaking of Hange, do you happen to know where she might be? I tried to call her in here as well, but she didn't answer her cellphone."

"Probably in the stocks," reasoned Levi. "I saw her earlier when Eren and I were going to meet up with the trainees. She was pretty excited over finally getting clearance to visit Moblit. I guess Shadis had to go through some paperwork first before he could give her access."

Erwin nodded. "Of course. I haven't had the opportunity to speak with her and discuss exactly what she has planned to gain his cooperation. I only know that she believes it's possible."

Levi blinked at him, pausing with his teacup partway to his lips. "You serious? As much as you over-think everything else, you can't guess what she's gonna do?"

Erwin folded his hands over the desk. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

Levi's brows hedged briefly with irritation. "I thought it was pretty obvious, Commander. She's not going to rely on the usual methods of interrogation. She's got one sure thing that could be used to make him see the light and cooperate. It isn't like she hesitated to use it on people that _haven't_ stabbed us in the back."

Erwin chuckled. "The 'memory grog', as you put it. Yes, I assumed that was her plan, but she seemed rather angry and intense when the subject of Moblit came up briefly between us just after the return from the mission. It leads me to wonder if she might take a bit of satisfaction out of doing things the old fashioned way first, if you understand my meaning."

"You mean torture?" Levi shook his head. "No, she won't do that. Not with Moblit. She might smack him around a little, sure, but he'll get through this with all of his fingernails intact."

"You seem sure of that." Erwin frowned slightly. "Levi, I saw her face. His betrayal—despite his ignorance of past connections to us—hurt her as much as angered her. Surely you realize that."

"Yeah," agreed Levi, "and like I said, it wouldn't surprise me if she decides to bruise him up a little and maybe give him a throttling, but that crazed woman has a soft spot for certain people. She'll stop herself from doing him any lasting harm."

"I do hope you're right. He could be a valuable asset, should the recovery of his memories succeed in changing his allegiance. If Hange loses her senses in her anger and takes it too far, she just may kill him."

"She had the chance to do that while she was working on getting Eren out of that compound," Levi reminded him. "She didn't take it then, and I don't think she'll take it now. Problem is if she does turn him, we still can't trust him. Not after he's been working with the BRS. We can't just force the tonic on him, wait a week and call it a day."

"No, we can't. Moblit will have to remain in prison and face trial like all of the others we take into custody. Nothing can change that, but if he recalls who he was and what he was to us, I believe he'll understand why it must be that way."

"Yeah, he was always one of the rational ones."

"And with that being said, I'm afraid I need to send you on an errand as soon as you finish your tea," informed the blond man.

Levi took another sip and he swallowed before speaking. "What now? You'll have me running around like a titan with its head cut off, at this rate."

"Again, I apologize," said Erwin. "I need you to find Hange and see what she's up to."

Levi sighed. "Erwin, she is not going to—"

"Levi," interrupted the other man sternly, "trust my intuition. I know that you tend not to pay much attention to the emotional state of others, but I have good cause for concern. Eren and Mikasa can handle the ODM training for a bit on their own. You've reported that they're doing a good job, so leave it to them, find Hange and make sure she isn't losing control of herself. That is an order."

The smaller man grumbled, and he rubbed his injured side unconsciously. "Yes sir. Fine."

Erwin relaxed, and he smiled quietly at Levi. "You can feel free to rub my nose in it later if my concerns prove to be unfounded. You need to discuss how the two of you want to schedule monitoring Mike, anyway."

Levi downed the rest of his tea like a shot, wiped his mouth off and set the cup on Erwin's desk. "Valid enough point. I'll get that out of the way now, then."

"Good. Thank you."

Levi got up out of his chair and he started to leave.

"Oh, and Levi?"

The captain's lips thinned with irritation as he turned around to look back at his superior. "What now?"

"After you've finished with Hange, you should take some rest. You seem to be in some pain." Erwin's icy blue gaze warmed on him, revealing the concern he'd been keeping beneath the professional mask.

Levi's tension eased, and he nodded. "Yeah, I'll do that. Have a safe trip, chief."

* * *

Eren saw Levi coming, and he asked Petra and Eld to take a break from their training so that he could speak with his lover. Mikasa was off on the other side of the spacious sector with her own batch of trainees. They had agreed to rotate training between them, so that everybody selected for the gear training got some time with each of them, as well as independent practice. So far it was working out well.

"Excuse me, guys," he said to the paired agents, and then he met Levi halfway across the chamber. He noticed Levi's subtle little grimace, and he frowned at him with worry.

"Hey. How did it go?" Eren stopped before him, looking him up and down. "You don't look like you're feeling too good, Captain."

"I'll be fine," Levi said. He glanced at the three agents that were in motion with their gear, focusing on basic maneuvers for the time being. "Look, I've got to head down to the detainment level and find Hange. Do you think you and Mikasa can handle this without me for a while longer?"

"Sure, Levi." Eren resisted the temptation to reach out and stroke the man's dark hair, mindful of the presence of others. "I think we've got a working routine established now, so if you just want to go and rest after you talk to Hange, you can leave it to us. Have you taken your pain medication yet?"

"No, not yet." Levi met his eyes again. "Stop worrying so much, brat. I'll take some as soon as I've finished with Hange. I just wanted to drop by first and let you know where I'll be. Oh, by the way…how is Mike doing?"

Eren looked over his shoulder, but he couldn't see the man in question from clear on the other side of the designated training area. "Mikasa's got him and Gunther in her group right now. He seems to be doing okay. I've been keeping an eye on him and so has she."

Levi's neutral expression briefly displayed a bare hint of gratitude. "If you see him start to freeze up, yank him out of practice and take him aside for a break, okay? He hasn't hit any bad spells yet, but you know what it's like when those happen."

"Yes, I do." Eren nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, sir. We both know the signs to look for, and we won't let him injure himself if he starts having a bad flashback. We've got this."

Levi huffed a little, and his hooded gaze softened a bit on Eren. "What the fuck would I do without you? Good work, Jaeger."

Eren smiled with pleasure at the praise, though he was still quite concerned over the flush in Levi's cheeks and the tight posture he was in. He wanted to check his temperature, but odds were he'd get his hand slapped away if he tried to feel Levi's forehead. He was also curious about why Erwin had called him into his office, but he understood that some things were just classified and his boyfriend would discuss what he could with him later.

"Thank you. It's the least I can do, and Jean's been talking about helping out too…though I'd rather not work on this with horse face. He'll probably try to take over and undermine everything I try to teach them."

"Don't start your bickering with him," warned Levi, his expression hardening. "What's important is that they get the training they need to do the job they've been chosen for. If Kirstein can help you with that, great. Save the personal shit between you two for the appropriate setting."

Eren winced. He'd meant to say that last part jokingly, but Levi clearly wasn't in the mood. "Yes sir."

"Good. I'll leave you to it, then. I'll see you at dinnertime, Eren."

The singer watched as Levi turned and walked away, and he sighed. Levi had always been bad about pushing himself too hard, fighting on even after an injury and performing his duties tirelessly. Not for the first time, Eren wondered where the man got all of that strength from.

* * *

"All right, let's go over this again," stated Hange. She stopped pacing before the chair that Moblit was restrained to, and she bent over to give him a hard, long look in the eyes. "You were personally sent on the mission by Reiss to capture Eren. That tells me that you may have access to information that I never got."

"I've already told you," said the blond man, "I don't know where he could be at right now! I followed orders…I didn't know all of his personal details."

Her hand shot out and smacked him hard across the face, leaving a red print to match the one already darkening his left cheek. She then grabbed his shirt in both hands, and Moblit yelped in spite of himself when Hange lifted him by it for a moment, chair and all. Hange dropped him immediately, before he could even register the sensation of having his air cut off, and he had no way to break his fall as his chair toppled over onto it's back. His head hit the concrete floor and his eyes went blank.

"Moblit?" Hange frowned a little, and she rested one booted foot on one of the topmost legs of the chair. Her rage cooled abruptly. "Hey. Did I knock you out?"

"Unnhhh," he moaned, his head turning to the side. "You…amazon! You crazy…amazon…"

"Hmm. You used to call me a maniac."

Hange sighed, and she bent over, grabbed his shoulders and braced the leg of the chair with one foot as she righted him again. Moblit groaned, and Hange turned away to get some water from the pitcher she'd brought in with him. She filled the glass and she carried it back to him, squatting down a bit to put it to his lips. "Here. Sip it."

He drank impulsively…thirstily.

"That's not sipping it, you silly turtle." Hange took the glass away before he could get more than three swallows, and she regarded him again. "You know, I miss hearing you call my a maniac. You always said it with such love."

The way he was staring at her, that term was likely on the tip of his tongue right now. Instead, he drew his brows together and sputtered: "What are you _talking_ about? I never called you—"

"Of course," she interrupted, "back then you were my assistant, and I did conduct some rather dangerous experiments with you by my side. I really didn't think you were going to stick with me for long, but you came through like a trooper."

Hange turned to face him again, and she smiled. Her throat tightened up, and she pounced on him again. "How could you do this to me?"

He flinched, and his light brown eyes were wide on her. "You _are_ a maniac," he provided breathlessly.

The intensity of Hange's gaze softened, and her eyes began to glisten with tears. "Say it again," she whispered, her lips trembling.

He blinked, and something began to change in his expression. It was reminiscent of the look a person got on their face when finding a fitting piece to a puzzle. "You're…a maniac." Now there was a strange sort of wonderment in his tone.

Hange began to smile. "Ah, there it is. How I missed that, Berner."

She then closed in, and Hange's mouth covered his in a rough kiss.

That was when Levi walked in.

* * *

"What the hell am I looking at?" demanded Levi. His eyes went impressively wide, and for a moment he thought Hange was trying to eat Moblit's face. Perhaps Erwin was spot-on with his assessment of her emotional state, after all. "Four eyes, what are you doing?"

She jerked up and whirled around so fast that she lost her balance. With a sharp cry, Hange fell right into Moblit's stationary lap. Her glasses went askew and she looked up at the bewildered captain stupidly.

"Shit…Levi," Hange sputtered.

He folded his arms over his chest, and he forced his eyelids to relax and drop back down, hooding his gaze once more. "So is this some kind of fucked up torture technique you've devised, or what?"

Hange twisted in the captive's lap, looking between him and Levi with a decidedly panicked expression on her face. Moblit, the poor bastard, looked even more confused than Levi felt. "I...there's a perfectly logical explanation for this," blurted Hange. She hastily got up, and she was blushing brightly.

Levi leaned to the side a little to check Moblit's face. He had a red handprint on each cheek, but there didn't appear to be any bites. That meant the other maddening possibility of what he'd witnessed from behind was true: Hange had been caught sucking face with the man Erwin was so convinced she might kill in a moment of irrationality.

"Let's step outside," Levi said evenly. When she didn't move, he snapped at her. " _Now_ , you super freak."

She jumped a little at his sudden shout, and she followed him out the door without question. Levi slammed it shut again behind them, and he leaned back against the wall for support. "Explain this to me," he said, lowering his voice and spearing her with his gaze. "Is this some kind of weird mating ritual for you? Beat the shit out of 'em and then do 'em? At least a praying mantis waits for the male to get off before biting his head off."

Hange wrung her hands, and a tear rolled down her cheek even as she laughed in a nervous manner. "Well Levi…you see…he was…I'm…"

"Spit it out," he ordered. "I don't have all damn day."

She bit her lip, and then she threw her hands up. "All right! The truth is, by the end Moblit and I were lovers."

Levi stared at her, and his vision lost focus as he tried to absorb this startling news. He parted his lips to speak, but nothing came out. He was rendered mute.

"Levi?" Hange frowned at him, and she wiped at her eyes to clear the remaining moisture from them. "You aren't having a stroke, are you?"

A stroke? He honestly wasn't sure. He was feeling dizzy now, and he didn't know if it was from the shock of discovery or from his healing injury. Levi tried to speak again, and this time he pried the words out.

"You…and Moblit."

Hange nodded.

Levi quirked a brow, and he tilted his head. "So you were doing your assistant?"

"Don't you get high and mighty on me, pipsqueak," huffed the scientist. She shook a finger at him. "You were sleeping with a fifteen year old shifter _and_ banging our commander at the same time, if you recall."

Levi was briefly stumped. He shook himself out of it, reminding himself of _why_ this new knowledge of the nature of Hange and Moblit's relationship was a problem. "When exactly did this happen? Where the shit was I at, dead already?"

"Oh, it started after the whole fiasco with the anti human suppression squad." Hange shrugged and sighed. "Stop looking so surprised, Levi. I'm as human as you are and I've got the same basic needs as everyone else."

"Hmm. Guess I just thought science was the only thing that turns you on." Levi pushed away from the wall, and he immediately regretted doing so. He covered up the fresh wave of weakness by grabbing hold of Hange's shirt and looking up at her intensely. "Your judgment is compromised, shitty glasses. I can't leave it to you to try and persuade him."

"Levi, I can handle it," she insisted.

"I saw how you were 'handling it', and you're damned lucky I walked in on you instead of someone else, like one of the brigade squad under Shadris' command."

Levi released her shirt, and he leaned back against the wall again, resting his head against it as he tilted it back. "Erwin was right…sort of. He thought you might snap and kill Moblit, so he sent me to come and check on you. I wonder what he'd think of finding out you had your tongue down Moblit's throat instead."

"Please don't say anything," Hange implored. "So I had a lapse. It won't happen again—at least, not until he has his memories back and we've got his cooperation. We can give him my tonic and have him watched, and I promise you that he'll switch sides as soon as he remembers his old life. I know he will."

Levi watched her thoughtfully and silently, debating with himself over what to do. Finally, he closed his eyes and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "If you slip up even once more, I'll have to report it. I get it; you've been reunited with him and it's tough to box up old feelings and prioritize what needs to be done over what your feelings want you to do. I've been there."

"And yet you ended up back with your honey," she reminded him, " _before_ he took my tonic, according to what Eren told me."

"Eren's not working for our enemies," he countered. "Moblit is. You need to be damned sure you're right about him before you start trying to rekindle what you had before, Hange. Sorry to be an asshole, but there's no getting around it. You know that, right?"

"I just said so, didn't I?" She reached up and straightened her glasses, only now realizing that they were still crooked. "Don't be such a hard ass, Levi. I helped you with Eren, so help me with this."

"That's what I'm trying to fucking do," he snapped. He started to stagger then, and he saw spots. Hange caught him up in her arms when his legs started giving out, and she kept him on his feet.

"Levi, you're burning up!" Hange pulled one of his arms around her neck, and she started helping him down the hallway. "Come on, shrimp. We can finish talking about this later. I need to have a look at you."

* * *

Eren sprinted down the corridor after getting notified by one of the UFI agents that Levi had almost collapsed. He had to stop and get his bearings for a second, finding it easy to get turned around in this place. He paused at a directory, figured out he was one wing down from where his and Levi's room was, and then kept on running.

"Eren?" Sasha called when he passed her in the hallway. "What's going on?"

"It's okay," he said without slowing. "Hange just sent for me. Don't worry!"

It was easier for him to preach at someone not to worry, but Sasha was still dealing with her own problems and he didn't want a bunch of people crowding Levi out of concern. He turned down the next corridor and he practically flattened himself against the closed door of his and Levi's quarters, forgetting to use his key card to unlock it first. Cursing under his breath, he reached into his pants pocket for the item and he slid it through the scanner port. The lock clicked and the light on the handle turned green, and he turned it to open the door.

"Levi?" Eren rushed to the bedside, gasping for breath. Levi's shirt had been removed, as well as his dressing. The sutured wound in his side was an angry red, and there was swelling around it. Hange was over by the table, mixing something in a bowl.

The raven-haired agent's eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at Eren drowsily. "Hey. You look like you just shit yourself."

Eren scrubbed his fingers through his hair and he sighed. "I ran as fast as I could when they told me. I _knew_ you weren't feeling well, but I was too chickenshit to try push you to go to bed."

"Ah, but the grump is a stubborn man," Hange remarked. She finished blending her mixture, and she brought the bowl over. "Hold this for me while I put some gloves on, Eren. I still have to lance this, and then I'll apply the salve."

He took the bowl as directed, and he stroked Levi's hair with his free hand. "I don't understand. It looked fine last night when you changed the dressing. Hey, Miss Hange…are you okay?" He'd noticed the way she grunted and rubbed the site of her own healing gunshot injury.

"Oh, I'm fine," she told him. "I just aggravated my injury a bit when I got too vigorous with Moblit."

"Tch…understatement," muttered Levi.

Hange shushed him with a warning look, and then she opened up the medical kit she'd brought to procure some gloves. "I'll see to my own wound after I've taken care of Levi's, and then I'll check in on Mike."

"You need to take it easy too," advised Eren with a frown. "Both of you have been pushing yourselves too hard and trying to do too much. You'll make yourself sick like the captain did."

Levi sighed. "Nursemaid."

Eren looked down at him, and he didn't smile. "Damned right, sir. Gunshot injuries aren't like a hangnail. You can't just take a bullet and expect to carry on your duties as normal right away."

"Hey, take it up with Erwin," groused Levi. "I'm just following orders, brat."

"Don't tempt me," Eren growled, his hold on the bowl of salve tightening. "He should know better than to have you running around like this while you're healing."

"Well, you can't take it up with him anyway. He's already left this base to check in on something, and he won't be back for a couple of days, at least. Maybe that'll give you time to cool down."

Levi's breath caught as Hange inserted a needle into the puffing around his injury, and he clenched his jaw. Eren dropped the subject immediately and he grabbed Levi's hand, squeezing it supportively. "You didn't numb it a little first, Hange?"

"I did, but the topical can only do so much," she explained. "Try to be still, Levi. This will only take a few moments."

Levi nodded mutely, looking down at what she was doing. "I'll give you another antibiotic shot for a boost when I've finished with this," said the scientist. "Have you been dressing this yourself, tiny captain?"

"Yeah." Levi grunted a little, but he otherwise made no complaints. "That a problem?"

"Well, evidently yes." Hange finished draining the fluid, and she put the needle aside to reach for the bowl Eren was holding. "I don't think you were getting it clean enough. It's in a difficult spot for you to see clearly enough to do a thorough job. Eren should clean it and dress it for you, from now on."

Eren nodded. "I told him that, but he keeps insisting on doing it himself."

Hange sighed and she spread the ointment gently over the site. "Prideful man. Stop trying to be macho and just let your sweetheart take care of you, Levi."

Levi heaved a sigh.

* * *

The next day, Hange went through with her plan to give Moblit her memory tonic. She tried to persuade him with words at first, but the kiss from the day before hadn't convinced him that she wasn't out of her mind.

"I won't bother mentioning your attack on me in the research facility, but let's talk about your treatment of me since getting me here. You've hit me, you've throttled me and for some damned reason, you kissed me after all that," Moblit told her with a sigh as she tried to bring the bottle to his lips. He jerked his face away. "I'm not going to drink whatever's in that bottle! Don't I at least get to talk to a lawyer?"

Hange made a frustrated sound, and she sat back in the chair she'd had brought in for her. "Would it help if I told you I'm sorry for slapping you around?"

"What would help would be for you to unshackle me from this chair and treat me like a human being." Moblit strained against the restraints.

Hange's expression darkened. "Did you treat Eren Jaeger like a human being?" She leaned forward, and she grasped his jaw tightly. "What about the people your organization transformed into titans? Were they treated like human beings, Moblit?"

He faltered, and he averted his gaze. "They were criminals. I was only doing my job, and all I did to Eren Jaeger was bring him in as instructed. I wasn't a party to any experiments they conducted on him."

"Those are nice excuses," she said, "but it isn't enough. You don't have a clue right now exactly what the titan project you were involved in could really do to the world, if it isn't stopped. That isn't your fault, though. The only way you can really understand the enormity of it is to drink this. If you'll be a good boy and do that for me, you'll get treated better. Just drink it, Moblit."

"I'm not drinking any strange fluids," he stated adamantly.

He gulped when she brought her face closer to his, and that look came back to his eyes. Hange smiled at him. "Some part of you remembers. You just need a little boost. I'm sorry my dear, but you've left me no other choice."

She sighed, released his jaw and took out her cellphone. She selected a number in her contact list, and she brought the phone to her ear. "Mike, I'm ready. Come on in."

"What's going on?" demanded Moblit when the cell door opened a moment later to admit the tall, powerfully built blond agent. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Don't panic," advised Hange. "I would force-feed you the tonic myself, but I've already pushed it too much with my injury. Ah well, at least I haven't needed the sling anymore!"

"You lunatic," sputtered Moblit, eyes going wide as Mike silently approached him. "Hey, get your hands off me!"

Mike grimly took a grip on Moblit's hair to force his head back. He gripped his jaw with his other hand as Hange had done earlier, prying his mouth open. "Sorry pal. I don't like it anymore than you do, but orders are orders." He nodded at Hange and he held the struggling captive steady for her. "Hurry up, Hange."

Hange got into position, and she hesitated for just a moment when Moblit's eyes met hers. Regret crossed her hawkish features, but she brought the bottle to Moblit's mouth anyway, and she began to pour. He tried to spit it out, and Mike quickly clamped down to keep him from turning his head and succeeding. Hange massaged Moblit's throat as she poured the liquid carefully.

"Don't choke," she murmured. "I'm so sorry, but this really is for your own good."

* * *

When it was over, Hange quickly left the room with Mike and she paused in the hallway. She removed her glasses and she rubbed her eyes with a mournful sigh. Her companion watched her quietly, and she found his presence comforting. Hange looked up at him after wiping away the fresh tears that had gathered, and she sniffed as she replaced her glasses.

"Thank you for the assistance, Mike. I don't think I could have managed that on my own in my condition."

He shrugged. "You okay?"

She glanced at the door. "Honestly? I don't know. He may not forgive me for this, even after his memories come back. Funny thing though; I'm supposed to be helping watch over you, and here you are watching over me. You certainly handled my confession about Moblit and I better than Levi did."

Mike scratched his nose. "Well, one of the memories I've gotten back since choking down that stuff was of figuring it out for myself."

"Oh?" She started to ask him how in the hell he'd figured it out, but when he tapped his nose, the question was answered. "Ah, so then you knew all along! Well, thank you for keeping it to yourself, in that case. Not that I think there would have been any major repercussions if we'd been open about it, but it was our special little secret."

Mike looked off down the hallway. "I figured you would have told people if you wanted them to know."

"Very true." She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "How are you, by the way? I haven't heard you utter a peep of complaint, but you _have_ to have regained some juicy memories by now. Don't take this the wrong way, but it's a little anti-climatic, how well you're coping."

"Hmph. So you'd rather have me turn into a screaming mess?" Mike smirked at her. "Not my style."

"So it isn't." Hange stepped a little closer to him. "But Mike, I'm going to tell you the same thing that I told Levi yesterday: drop the tough guy act. I know that you and him and Erwin all like to put out this impression of being unshakable, but I have been through this process myself. I know damned good and well that these memories are going to cause you pain, if they haven't already."

He met her eyes, and she saw a flicker of angst in them before he could mask it. "It's tough. I never said it wasn't."

"Then let us be there for you," she insisted. "I'll lean on you and you can lean on me." Hange stuck out her hand. "Deal?"

His gaze flicked to the hand, and he nodded. "Deal." He shook on it with her. "I've got to admit I threw up last night a few times."

"Oh Mike, why didn't you come to me? I could have given you something for your nerves."

"I don't like medicating," he excused. "You should know that."

"Well, sometimes it's necessary. Damn it, you're almost worse than Levi! At least he's taking the meds I've given him, even if he bitches about it."

"He's probably got Jaeger on his back," guessed Mike.

"Yes, thank fuck for that kid," Hange sighed. She patted Mike's arm. "Come on. Let's go arrange for Moblit to be taken back to his holding cell, and you and I can have a drink or five together."

"As long as it's alcohol and not more mystery juice."

* * *

By the end of the week, Levi's condition was vastly improved, and he was able to take on a more active role in training the selected titan slaying teams on ODM gear usage. Eren helped that along quite a bit, and his determination to see Levi recover made it easier for him to put his foot down, despite Levi's grumbling. Erwin was late getting back from Askurg, but he'd already contacted Levi and Mike with confirmation that everything was fine and he was merely tying up loose ends before returning to the base.

Eren and Levi had just finished another ODM training session, and the singer immediately encouraged Levi to let him see to him the moment they closed the door to their chambers behind them.

"Let's have a look," Eren said after helping Levi out of his shirt.

The captain quietly allowed him to ease the bandaging aside over the site of his healing wound, standing at the bedside while Eren sat down so that he would be eye level with it. He watched as his lover put aside the dressing and reached for the antiseptic spray to clean it.

"You're spoiling me," Levi finally murmured as Eren dabbed at the half-inch of fresh scar tissue. He smirked down at him, watching as he followed up with the antibiotic ointment. "Nurse Jaeger. I like that. Maybe we should get you a pair of green scrubs to match your eyes."

Eren glanced up at him briefly with a little smile. "I'll wear scrubs for you if you want me to." He studied his handiwork and he nodded in satisfaction. "It looks like it's completely closed up now. How long does it take for the sutures to dissolve, I wonder?"

Levi shrugged. "Probably no more than another week."

Eren applied fresh dressing, and he kissed Levi's stomach. "Love how soft your skin is," he sighed. He slid his hands over the other man's torso leisurely.

"Is that why you keep making such a big deal about me getting shot again? You don't like my skin getting marred?" Levi gazed down at him, and he traced Eren's lips with a fingertip. "Hey Eren, while you're down there…" he trailed off, leaving it up to the imagination.

Eren took the suggestion to heart, and seeing as Levi was feeling so much better, he felt no guilt about doing so. They hadn't fooled around since the captain returned from the sting operation. "Okay."

Levi's brows shot up when Eren tugged down his fly without hesitation. "Damn, Eren. I was messing around."

Eren undid the button on Levi's trousers, not pausing. He watched his task until he got the other man's pants open and reached in to ease his target out of the briefs Levi wore, and then he looked up at his partner solemnly.

"I'm not."

* * *

Erwin's feet were dragging by the time he finally touched down at the Maelstrom and disembarked from his plane. He gave tired nods to people in passing as they greeted or saluted him, and he reported straight to Shadis. It was late, but he knew the Naval Brigade commander would probably still be up. Hell, everyone was up late these days, and the up early in the morning. He passed through security checkpoints, and he accepted a bottle of water from a soldier that offered it to him upon approaching the lift.

"Thank you," said Erwin, and he unscrewed the cap to have a sip.

Providing water to arrivals entering the base was, he'd learned, more of a courtesy to help them counter the ear popping when the facility submerged. The Maelstrom only surfaced to allow approved incoming air traffic to land, or for outgoing crafts to take off. Inbound and outbound traffic of any sort was now heavily restricted, save for deployment missions and returns. It was best that way. The BRS and their allies still didn't know about the Maelstrom, and the fewer times the aquatic compound made a surface appearance, the better.

Erwin called Shadis to let him know he was on his way, and he was immediately let in when he arrived at the man's office. Shadis wordlessly gestured at the visitor's chairs, and Erwin took a seat. "The contingency plan is solid," informed Erwin. "Should there be a need to move all protected parties to another location, the hostel in Westenfeld is secure."

Shadis turned his chair and he took his attention off the computer screen. "You're sure?"

Erwin nodded. "Absolutely. The subject of concern actually does have family ties to Reiss, and she knows it. However, she wants nothing to do with him, and she hasn't had contact with him since she was thirteen."

Shadis frowned. "Then she can't provide information of his whereabouts?" He didn't question Erwin's judgment of Krista's trustworthiness, having come to respect the director's intuition about people.

"Not at this time, no. However, I spoke with her extensively on the subject, and she has agreed that if he attempts to contact her again, she'll do what she can to ascertain his location and provide us with it. That could be tricky, however. Should Reiss try to contact his daughter again and she suddenly shows an interest in his life or where he's at…" Erwin shrugged.

Shadis nodded, and he finished the trailing sentence for him. "Then he'll get suspicious and clam up."

"Not only that, sir. I believe the man is capable of harming his own blood, if he's convinced there is a threat. I trust this young woman to be careful enough not to put herself in danger, though."

Shadis started typing up the new information into a file on his computer. "We're going to find this dirtbag eventually," he promised, "and I'm going to personally see him put before a firing squad."

"I think many of us would enjoy that," Erwin said sincerely. "May I be dismissed, Commander?"

"Yeah, go and get some shuteye, Smith. You've got to be jetlagged."

* * *

-To be continued


	29. Chapter 29

_Chapter warning: This chapter contains possibly triggering content involving terrorism tactics. Due to recent world events, some might find it disturbing to read, so please be advised._

Levi's recovery sped up in the days that followed, and under Eren's watchful eye, within a week Levi was able to wear his ODM gear again and take a more hands-on approach with the training of the titan slaying team. Jean began to help with the training routine as well, though he himself was out of practice. Eren wasn't overly pleased with the guitarist's participation, and the two of them clashed a bit.

"Hey, cool it," Levi warned them both when everyone met back up after a snack break.

Eren and Jean both looked at the small, volatile agent. By the way Eren cringed in response to Levi's glare, he was vividly recalling the way the captain tended to break up arguments in the past. "Sorry sir," he said contritely, giving Jean a sidelong, frowning glance. "He started it, though."

"Bullshit," denied Jean. "You're the one that had Petra flying too close to the ground, Jaeger. I was just pointing that out."

"Hey, everyone has their own style," protested Eren. "If Petra feels more natural being low to the ground, I'm not going to contradict her."

"Actually, you need to," Levi pointed out, approaching the frustrated pair with a stern expression. He glanced at Petra, who was in the air again and going in for target practice on one of the titan dummies they'd put together for these exercises. "Ral has always had a bad habit of keeping too low. She's definitely one of the best titan killers available, but as her trainers, we need to point it out when she starts slipping. Eren, I expect you to do that. Are we clear?"

Eren lowered his bright gaze, and he nodded. "Yes Captain. I just…didn't want to disrespect her."

"It isn't disrespectful to point out loose tactics," insisted Levi. "You are in a mentoring position, brat. You need to act the part."

Eren flushed, and he grimaced when Jean smirked in satisfaction over witnessing him getting lectured. "I'll try to do better with that then, sir."

Levi nodded. "Good." He checked his own gear. "I'm going to get up in the air with them and show them a few things. You and Jean get the next group ready to go airborne."

Both young men saluted Levi impulsively, and they hastened to do as instructed. Satisfied that they would do their best and hopefully resist the impulse to bicker further, Levi fired off his gear and he joined Petra and Eld in the air.

"You've both got the instincts to be the best," he informed them, "so pay attention and don't slack off."

"Yes sir," Petra agreed, her mouth thinning with determination. "But Agent Ackerman, should you be doing this so soon? Maybe you shouldn't risk aggravating your injury."

"I'm fine to do this," he assured her. "I know my limitations and Eren will have my ass if I overdo it, anyway."

Petra chuckled, glancing over her shoulder at the singer as Eren began to instruct the next group with Jean's help. "He's very protective of you, sir."

"Tch, no shit," grumbled Levi…but he smirked. He would never admit it aloud, but sometimes it was rather nice to be pampered. "All right, let's circle back around and I'll show you two how to flip over in mid-flight. It could save your ass someday, so listen and watch carefully."

"You got it, boss," promised Eld.

* * *

Moblit had his head in his hands when Hange went to visit him in his cell. She paused at the doorway, regarding him with mixed emotions. He'd nearly regained all of his memories, and Erwin had promised her that he would make arrangements for Moblit to assist her in her work once he had complete recall. The blond man looked up at her when Hange walked in, and the agony in his eyes couldn't have been feigned if he tried. Silently, Hange approached and she took a seat on his bunk beside him. She stared at the wall and she bit her lip, wondering how to begin the conversation.

"Your next target facility should be Tarsus Valley," Moblit said flatly while Hange pondered.

She turned her head to look at him. "I had a feeling that would be the case. How many titans are they holding there, dear?"

Moblit shook his head. "I'm not sure. The last count I heard was around twenty-two. After the latest UFI raid on the Trost compound, they're going to have their guard up. I don't know what your role is in these operations, but you need to be very careful."

Hange's gaze softened on him. "Oh, I will. As much as I would love to go in with guns blazing, I'm of more use to them staying behind and hacking databases. Speaking of which; you're going to be my assistant again."

Moblit blinked in open surprise. "I am? How did you manage to pull _that_ off? I was working for the enemy!"

Hange shrugged. "Now you know better. Besides, I can't handle all of these responsibilities on my own, even with Armin's help. Your access is going to be quite restricted, of course. You're also still going to be put on trial with the others they're holding here. I can't change that."

Moblit lowered his gaze. "I know. Are you so sure you _want_ me assisting you, though? How do you know you can trust me?"

She dared to reach out and cup his chin, and she held his gaze. "I know, because I know _you_. Even if you resent me for forcing my tonic on you and putting you through the hell of getting all of these memories back, you know what will happen if those titans are unleashed on the population. I trust you to have the integrity to make the right choice, Moblit."

He swallowed, and he stared at her. "I don't resent you."

Hange forced a smile, though it trembled slightly. "Are you sure about that, handsome? You made it a point to let me know in no uncertain terms that you weren't pleased with the manhandling. Two days ago you were cursing my name."

"Two days ago, I didn't have the memories I've got now," Moblit pointed out. There was a sort of quiet desperation in his eyes as he studied her face. "I know things probably can never be the way they were before, but now when I look at you, I can't stop myself from reliving certain…er…encounters."

Hange grinned, replaying a few of those particular memories in her own mind. "I wondered how many of those events you'd started to remember. Are there any particular incidents you had in mind?"

Moblit flushed, averting his gaze briefly. "Well, there was the supply closet incident, for one. That one keeps making an appearance in my thoughts."

Hange laughed, easily recalling the day she'd dragged him into said closet with him on a whim. They'd been taking a break from research to have lunch, and the sight of Moblit licking his spoon did away with what few reservations Hange possessed. "That was a fun diversion from work," she sighed. She sobered, and she leaned against him impulsively. "We can't have exactly what we had back then, it's true. That doesn't mean we need to be estranged, though. You have the opportunity to prove yourself to us, Moblit. Work with us, and help us stop these BRS turkeys from unleashing another extinction event upon mankind. Do that, and you may get your life back sooner than you think."

Moblit rested his chin on her head, and he hesitantly put an arm around her. "I'm not worried about my life right now," he whispered. "I just want to help, and I want you to be safe."

She pulled away a little to stare at him, and their faces began to close the distance before Hange even knew what was happening. "You know me," she murmured. "I don't do 'safe' very well."

"And that's what I'm here for," Moblit reminded.

Then his lips touched hers, and Hange put her arms around him. She'd promised Levi that she wouldn't lose her head and slip up again, but damn it, she'd earned this shit. Hange made a husky sound in her throat as the kiss deepened, and she grabbed Moblit's plain gray shirt with both hands, bunching up the material. More. She wanted more and if the way his tongue was fencing with hers was any indication, Moblit felt the same.

"Hold on," Hange gasped after a few moments. "Don't you dare move, blondie."

Moblit stared up at her as she got up and went to the door. "What are you doing?"

Hange smirked over her shoulder at him. "Taking out a bit of insurance, dear."

She poked her head out the door and she motioned to the guard. "Hey, I'm going to need at least twenty more minutes with him," she informed the man. "Moblit has some important information to share, and I need to take down the details. Is that going to be a problem?"

The guard shook his head. "No ma'am. We're under orders to allow you full access to this prisoner and to assist you in whatever you need. I'll see to it that you aren't disturbed."

Hange grinned. "Thanks, big guy."

She closed and locked the door again, and she turned around to face Moblit as she began to unbutton her lab coat. "Now, where were we?"

* * *

Levi had finished his training session, opting to finish up a bit early due to his side beginning to feel a bit tight. The stitches were nearly dissolved, but he made a judgment call and decided not to push his luck. He didn't want to be out of commission for any longer than absolutely necessary. After detaching his gear from his harness, he went down to the lower levels of the base where the detention area was. He'd dropped by to check on Moblit a couple of times already since Hange force-fed the guy her memory juice. On the third day since being administered the tonic, Moblit was little more than a shivering mess. Levi had tried to get something useful out of him, but the guy couldn't even speak. Maybe now that Moblit was nearing the end of the process, he would be more coherent.

"Ackerman," he announced to the guards at the security checkpoint. He allowed them to scan him from head to toe, holding his arms out and spreading his legs.

"You're clear," informed the man with the scanner. "You can go on through as soon as you sign in."

Levi nodded, and he signed his name on the sheet attached to the clipboard, taking down the time as well. "Thanks. I don't think I'll be down here for long."

Levi retreated from the checkpoint, and he took the corridor leading to the holding cells where they were keeping the captive BRS agents. He frowned a bit when the guard outside of Moblit's cell stopped him before he could approach the door with his keycard.

"What's the problem?" demanded Levi.

"Dr. Zoë's in there with the prisoner, sir," explained the brigade soldier. "She requested privacy."

Levi's expression darkened at the implications. _~Privacy, huh? What are you up to, shitty glasses?~_

Perhaps it wasn't fair for him to expect her to restrain herself from kindling up a romance with the guy again. As Hange had so succinctly pointed out to him, Levi didn't really have the right to judge. He had Eren again, and if anyone knew what it felt like to cope with old feelings of desire and…well, love…it was him. He sighed, and he combed his fingers through his dark hair, wondering if he should interrupt whatever was going on behind that door or come back later.

"How long has she been in there?" Levi finally asked.

"Approximately a half hour," replied the guard. "She's probably nearly finished, if you'd like to wait."

Levi pursed his lips, and he shook his head. "No thanks. I'll come back tomorrow."

He started to leave then, but the cell door opened up at that moment. Levi turned to see Hange half-stumble out of the room and into the hallway. Her hair was even messier than usual, her eyes were heavy-lidded and she had a goofy smirk on her lips. Levi narrowed his eyes at her, taking in the rumpled state of her clothing and the subtle swelling in her lips.

 _~I fucking know what the face of sexual gratification looks like, and she's wearing it. Damn.~_

"Oh, hi Levi," greeted Hange upon noticing him. She straightened her slumping posture a little, and she hastily reached into her lab coat pocket for her phone. "I have some information concerning—"

"Come with me," he interrupted, grabbing her arm. Hange tripped on her own feet and nearly fell as Levi all but dragged her away.

"Ow! Easy, you shrimp!"

Levi ignored her, and when he got her around the corner and out of sight of the guard, he speared her with a level stare. "You just got laid."

Hange sputtered in a weak attempt at protest, held up a finger, and then sighed. She dropped her hand and she nodded. "I'm afraid so. I suppose you intend to rat me out?"

Levi shrugged. "I could, but it's a little late to do anything about it. I had a feeling you'd crack."

"You cracked, yourself." She raised a brow with the reminder.

"Are we going to go through this shit again?" Levi huffed. "Hey, I'm not judging you, believe it or not. It's your 'flowering vagina' and you can do whatever the hell you please with it."

Hange burst into a soft laugh. "You're never going to forget that book I lent to Eren, are you?"

Levi shook his head "Not a chance. It was too disturbing."

Shaking her head, the scientist calmed her mirth, and then she looked upon her friend more seriously. "If you aren't going to report me, then what are you planning to do?"

Levi sighed. "Let you make your own mistakes, I guess. I've seen how you are when you're heartbroken over something, four eyes. All I can do at this point without contradicting myself is to warn you to watch yourself, and hope you aren't making a mistake that could cost everyone."

Hange's eyes softened on him, and her smile returned. "You do care, don't you?"

"Tch." Levi looked away, neither confirming nor denying it.

Hange reached out to squeeze his shoulders. "I know what I'm doing, Levi. You've had your moments of 'gut feelings' plenty of time in the past, and so have I. Just try to trust me. I'll be discreet about this, and I won't let my personal feelings interfere with keeping a tight watch on him when he's working with me. He isn't even going to be allowed to look at my screen unless I give him permission to, you know. Moblit's going to be on the opposite side of me when we work, facing me. Everything he does is going to be recorded and documented."

"I'll trust you to do that thoroughly," he said. "Just keep it in mind that a lot of people's safety are riding on you keeping him in check, Hange."

She nodded and lowered her gaze. "I know that. Thank you for keeping this to yourself, Levi."

He shrugged again. It was against his better judgment, but like Hange, he had a gut feeling about Moblit, too. Especially if the man had feelings for Hange. Levi's phone started to buzz, and he retrieved it from his jacket pocket and brought it to his ear.

"Ackerman."

"Levi, report to the meeting room on level C-8 immediately," Erwin commanded. "A situation has arisen that bears immediate attention. Bring Hange as well. We're already assembling."

Levi frowned, nearly asking his superior for details right then and there. The tone in Erwin's voice told him that whatever it was, the matter was too urgent to go into details over the phone. "Yes sir, we'll be right there."

Levi hung up and he looked at Hange. "Let's move, four eyes. Something's come up that the higher-ups want to discuss, and your presence is required too."

* * *

Shadis wasted no time. As soon as all squad leaders, tech leaders and senior officers were present, he explained what was going on in short, clipped tones. He turned on the line of screens against the back wall to demonstrate his point as he informed them all that Trost UFI headquarters had been demolished by a massive explosion planted somewhere inside.

"How?" Levi demanded, staring at the broadcast of the smoking remains of his home office facility. The oily black billows of the smoke partially obscured two of the screens, but the third and forth were being filmed live from a different vantage point. He could see the flashing lights of fire trucks, ambulances and police cars as rescue teams worked to locate survivors and rescue them.

"Best guess at this point is a mole got in with the explosives and planted them at the weakest point inside," answered Shadis. "It happened a half an hour ago, and we only got word a few moments ago because of a communications delay. I can't confirm whether that delay was purposely orchestrated by our opposition, or if it was simply a coincidence. What I can tell you is that most of the staff inside did get out in time. The rest weren't so lucky."

Erwin frowned up at the screens, and he rubbed his chin. "What are the casualty estimates so far, sir?"

"We're looking at twenty seven dead accounted for and some thirty missing." Shadis turned to look at the screens himself. "Those numbers will probably go up as firefighters clear out enough of the rubble to go in deeper."

"So it's started," Mike observed softly.

Levi nodded. "Looks like it. The line in the sand's been crossed."

"It was bound to happen eventually," reasoned Dot Pixis, who was currently on site at the Maelstrom. "We've been predicting that this could lead to a civil war."

"Trost is currently in a state of emergency, under Martial Law," Shadis went on. "The district around UFI headquarters has been blocked off, and the local police are gearing up in riot gear. There have already been some lootings on the west side."

"What is the plan of action?" Nanaba asked. She'd managed to seat herself next to Mike, and the two of them were leaning in rather close together as they looked at the carnage on the screen.

"Reports state that the attack came from within, so we don't have any identifiable target squad to go after." Shadis compressed his lips in a show of annoyance. "That seems to be these dogs' method; covert. I doubt they have the air or ground power to wage a full-on attack on civilian territory in an attempt to take Trost under their control."

"Maybe not, since we razed their closest facility," agreed Erwin, "but there are other BRS compounds to worry about, and should they get agitated enough, they have other, more dangerous weapons at their disposal."

"Tarsus Valley," Hange said, shoving her hand in the air and waving it to get attention. She stood up when Keith looked at her, and she explained further. "Moblit advised me that you should strike there next, before they get the chance to gather their forces and do it first. Something tells me that this—" she waved at the screens "—is a diversion. If you send full military regiments in to held deal with the situation, they'll make a move on Tarsus Valley and it will be under hostile control before you can even get deployed to that area."

Shadis looked around at the council. "Moving a number of troops that far for a strike would be tricky, at best."

"Sir, I really think that you should take Hange's advice into consideration," Erwin said, nodding at the eager scientist. "There is a reason we granted her full access to prisoner 13. She's gotten the information out of him as expected of her. We should heed what she says."

Hange smiled at him. "Thank you, Commander."

Eyebrows rose in response to the way she addressed the blond UFI director, but nobody questioned it. Instead, they began to debate what to do about the current situation, as well as the risks associated with her suggestion.

* * *

"Shit."

Eren looked at his lover as Levi plopped down on the bed beside him. "What's wrong? Didn't the meeting go okay?"

"Yes and no," answered the smaller man with a rueful smirk. "Everyone agrees we need to act, but they put Hange's advice on the back shelf. That's going to cost us, I'm sure."

Eren bit his lip, and he put an arm around Levi. "Is it because she's not officially military?"

Levi nodded. "Partly. They're still trying to play the 'politics' game too, though. Personally, both Erwin and I think it's past time to stop negotiating and just do what needs to be done. It's complicated, though."

"So what's going to happen?" Eren rubbed Levi's shoulder, trying to be supportive of him. "Are they organizing another strike or what?"

Levi nodded. "Another sting operation is in the works. I'm not in good enough shape to participate in this one yet, though." He grumbled under his breath, and he reached up to drag his dark bangs out of his eyes. "They aren't even going to be hitting the recommended facility, and I think that's a huge fucking mistake. Can't argue with the brass, though. They've made up their minds and I guess they don't see the strategic value in jumping to that point on the map just yet. They want to do it in a pattern."

Eren frowned, lowering his gaze. "I can see why they want to do that for efficiency, but it's really stupid for them to piss away Hange's advice."

"No kidding." Levi smirked without humor, and he flopped onto his back. "I ride her hard, but Hange's got more balls and a bigger clue than any of them. Erwin tried to pull a few strings, but even that charismatic bastard can only push it so far."

Eren lay down on his side next to Levi, propping himself up on one elbow. He reached out to stroke Levi's soft hair. "You're really worried about this."

The captain sighed, and he turned his head to look at Eren. "Can't help but be. Shitty glasses has the right idea suggesting we hit the Tarsus Valley compound next, but the brass has a point, too. That's a lot of squads and a lot of aircraft to try flying that far without some place between here and there to refuel. That's why they want to move from the closest BRS facility to the next, and so on."

"Well, couldn't they stop in Trost and then just sort of bunny-hop to the next military base or agency to refuel?" Eren suggested.

Levi's expression darkened further. "That's another thing; Trost headquarters is gone."

The singer blinked at him. "Gone? Gone where? What do you mean? Did they take it over or something?"

"No. 'Gone' as in raised to the ground. The enemy managed to get a bomb inside somehow, so my headquarters are just a pile of rubble, now."

"Oh my fucking god, really?" Eren's eyes had gone wide in his face as he sputtered in disbelief. "Was anyone _in_ there when the bomb went off?"

"Of course people were in there," admonished Levi. "We've got people on the clock 24-7, kid."

"Shit." Eren sat up, and he combed his fingers through his hair. "Shit! Did you lose anyone I know?"

"Probably not. Most of them got out in time, and just about all of my coworkers you've met were here when it happened. We still had some casualties though, and losing our main branch of operations is going to make things a bit dicey."

Eren sighed. "I'm sorry, Levi. This is awful."

"Well, we started it," reminded the agent with a shrug. He sat up as well, grunting a little. "It was just a matter of time before they struck back. Cowardly tactics, though. I guess their methods make sense for the kind of organization they and their allies are."

Eren's lips thinned, and his eyes blazed with anger. "No, _they_ started this. You guys were just the first to openly attack, that's all. Damn it, sometimes I wish I still had my titan powers. I'd like to—"

Levi smacked him on the back of the head to shock him out of his tirade. "Shut up."

Eren rubbed his head with a hurt expression. "I was just venting."

"Well, don't do it like that," insisted Levi seriously. His piercing gaze held Eren's, and for a moment, a flash of emotion manifested in them. "That titan power made your life a living hell and put you in chains every night, brat. If we hadn't all gotten wiped out in the end, they'd have probably have executed you once you succeeded in your mission anyhow. Don't forget that."

Eren's hurt feelings faded with the realization that Levi's reaction was as much out of love as anger. "I won't," he promised. Something else occurred to him as he started to say more, and he went still. He could easily picture Captain Levi carefully cutting off the badges of fallen scouts in the field, which was sometimes all that he could bring back of them to their families. The man had built up quite a collection of them over time, and despite his gruff mannerisms, Eren knew that each death of the men and women serving under Levi and Erwin made the captain's soul bleed.

"Do you…have the names of the people that died in the explosion?" Eren hesitantly asked.

Levi shook his head. "No. They're still identifying bodies and counting losses."

"But I thought you said most of them got out!"

The captain looked at him. "They did, according to reports. Some of the poor bastards didn't though, and we have more staff than you realize. Most of them were techs and staff management…people with desk jobs. The field agents were nearly all out on assignments."

Levi stood up, and he walked to the other side of the room, before pacing a bit and eyeballing the locker cabinet against the wall. "We have some liquor in there, don't we? Fuck, I can't even look out a window. Keep forgetting we're miles under the ocean."

"I don't think we do," Eren said, "but I can go to the mess hall and ask for some. What kind do you want?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as it's alcoholic and wet."

Eren got up as well, and he went to his boyfriend with open concern on his face. Levi stiffened when the singer put his arms around him, and Eren just held him closer. "Hey, it's just you and me," whispered Eren. "It's okay to accept some comfort, sir."

Just as he'd done the last time Eren encouraged him to let himself go a little, the smaller man slowly put his arms around him after a moment, returning his embrace. Levi didn't say anything and his eyes were dry, but Eren could sense his frustration and pain. He hadn't just lost some coworkers today; he'd lost the place he'd trained and worked in. Levi had already told him before that he rarely even went to his own apartment, spending most of the time at headquarters and sleeping in his office. It must be like losing his home.

"Trost is under martial law now," informed Levi flatly, his voice muffled against Eren's shoulder. "I guess they're trying to prevent rioting. People are freaking the hell out. I'm not sure how much the media knows about the situation, but it's going to get out sooner or later and this shit's going to spread."

Eren closed his eyes. So, it was even worse than he thought. "Are we at war officially, Levi?"

"Pretty damned close, yes."

Eren could imagine the anarchy as people's confusion and fear spread from one location to the next, and the upcoming strike missions were doubtless going to cause even more strife. They had no choice, though. It was kill or be killed, and if any titans got loose, humanity would have even bigger problems to worry about than rival government factions duking it out.

* * *

When the day of the next strike mission arrived, Levi went out on the deployment deck with Hange, Eren, his mother and his friends to watch the strike teams board their aircrafts. It was as much to see them off as to get a little fresh air and sunshine. This time Shadis was electing to participate physically, rather than staying behind to monitor the situation and issue orders. Nobody said so, but it was clear by the grim atmosphere that people were starting to take this personally. The UFI agents were especially stoney-faced as they lined up to board their assigned air crafts, and Erwin gave them one of his inspiring speeches of encouragement as they all waited for the green light to start loading up.

"This isn't just about what the BRS have done to our organization personally." Erwin's voice rang out clear and strong to the men and women around him. "It's about protecting humanity from a larger threat than war between human beings. You've all seen by now what the enemy has created. You've been briefed on how dangerous and difficult to kill the titans are. Our families, our friends…even our way of life is threatened now, but we are not going to allow the opposition to put us in a cage of fear. We are what stands between devastation and the masses, so put your hearts into it and defend what is ours!"

"There goes his spiel about the 'good of humanity' again," muttered Levi to Eren…but the singer and his friends were all caught up in Erwin's speech as much as the military people and agents assigned to the mission. Eren pumped a fist in the air in approval, and Sasha hooted.

"Oh, wait," Sasha said a second after blurting her appreciation, "we aren't going. Wow, I got lost in the moment."

"Yeah, it takes me back too," agreed Connie with a smirk. "I forgot how easily the commander could convince people to throw down their lives."

Mikasa didn't make any noise herself, but she suddenly approached Erwin with her back straight and a purposeful stride. He regarded her with a slight frown, and she gave him an old school salute.

"Sir, I want to go on this mission," stated Mikasa.

Behind her, Jean's eyes bugged out, and Armin gasped. "Mikasa, what are you _doing_?" Armin called.

"Yeah, what he said," Jean sputtered.

Mikasa looked back at her friends, and her eyes lingered briefly on Levi before she turned to face Erwin again. "There's time, Director Smith. I've been helping to train your titan killing squad and you know I'm a strong fighter. Please, let me participate."

Mike was standing nearby, and he leaned close to Erwin when the other blond regarded Mikasa thoughtfully. "She's a civilian," he reminded his superior in a low voice.

Erwin nodded. "Yes, she is. So is Dr. Zoë, officially, and yet her assistance has been invaluable." His sharp blue gaze strayed to Levi, who stood beside Eren and Mrs. Jaeger with an unreadable expression on his face. "We are down our most skilled titan slayer, however. Miss Ackerman's abilities may help make up for that."

"Whoa, wait a minute," protested Jean. He strode up to his girlfriend with a faintly panicked expression on his face. "Mika, this isn't just a training exercise! They could be facing real titans, and no matter how much ass you kick, you aren't a soldier in this life!"

"Keep your voice down," she warned softly, glancing around at the witnessing people on deck. "I know the situation, Jean. As the director said; Levi can't participate in this operation, and that's why I'm volunteering. You can either support me or not, but this isn't your call."

Jean threw his hands up. "Shit. Well, if you're going then so am I. Don't look at me like that, either. I'm not as good as you or Levi, but I can hold my own and I'm not letting my girlfriend go off to war without me."

"We aren't at war," Sasha blurted. She looked around at her friends uncertainly. "Are we?"

"I think that's what it's coming to," Armin sighed. He looked at Eren. "You aren't going to protest this at all?"

Eren stared at Mikasa, and he shook his head. "I'm not happy about it, but since when can I stop Mikasa from doing exactly what she wants to do? Like she said; it's not our call. It's Director Smith's, ultimately."

"Actually, that's not entirely true," Erwin informed. He looked over at Shadis, who was watching near his squad with interest. "Commander?"

Shadis scratched his chin, and he looked at Mikasa and Jean assessingly. "The titan slaying squad is your jurisdiction, Smith. Right now, some of the usual rules don't apply. I leave it up to your judgment."

Erwin nodded, and he looked to Mike. "Fetch them some gear. If they can both get properly suited up in time to disembark with us, then they're welcome to assist."

The director approached Levi, then. "Do you agree with this decision?"

Levi shrugged. "At this point, it probably couldn't hurt. You know I would go with you as well if you asked."

That got Eren fired up. "Hey, if you're going too, so am I!"

Levi shot him an intense, warning look. "Eren."

Eren sighed. "No I'm not," he corrected, reminded of why they wanted to keep him as far from enemy sight and hands as possible.

Erwin smirked slightly as if in approval of Levi's offer, but he shook his head. "Your primary objective for now is still to protect Eren Jaeger, at all costs." He leaned in a little closer and he lowered his voice. "Besides, I'm going to need you in top condition. If this situation escalates the way we're anticipating, you'll get your field time soon enough. Get plenty of rest and finish recovering, Levi. That is the best thing you can do for us right now."

Levi gave a brief, curt not. "You've got it, chief."

Mikasa and Jean both returned from within one of the choppers that the titan squad would be riding in, and it came as no surprise that they'd both managed to get geared up so quickly. "Well," said Jean, "here we go again."

Mikasa smirked at him a little. "Try not to shit yourself if we do end up dealing with titans."

"Gee, thanks," he grumbled.

Mikasa squeezed his hand, and then she turned to Eren. "Thank you," she said, "for not trying to discourage me."

Eren grimaced subtly. "Only because I know how you fight. I swear to God though, if you get eaten I'm going to be pissed."

She hugged him, and she whispered a promise in his ear. "We won't get eaten. That's a promise. Just stay safe, Eren."

At that moment when Mikasa pulled away to go with Jean to the appointed chopper, Hange suddenly hugged Eren. "Well, my decision's made too. Take care of Levi and make sure he doesn't overdo it again, okay?"

Eren's confusion was evident as he hugged her back and then peered at her, his brows hedging. "Er, okay. What's going on?"

Hange unbuttoned her long lab coat, and she shrugged out of it to reveal that she was in full uniform with an ODM harness of her own. She handed the lab coat over to Armin, who was sighing and shaking his head unhappily. "Don't look so worried, Armin. I have faith in you, and you'll have Moblit to assist you just as he would me."

"I'm not the one I'm worried about," confessed Armin as everyone gawked at the scientist. "You agreed that you'd do more good behind the scenes, Miss Hange. I didn't think you were serious when you told me you changed your mind!"

"I changed my mind after they blew up Trost headquarters and the brass went against my advice. You know by now that I've got a habit of making spur of the moment decisions," she remonstrated, and then she looked at Erwin. "Well? Do you have a spare set in one of these birds for me, big guy?"

"I…you…have you even _practiced_ using the gear, Hange?" Erwin stammered, his iron stoicism shaken by her abrupt self-invite.

"Of course I have," she snorted. "Granted, not as much as the kids and Levi's team, but enough. Don't worry about my injury; it's healed up enough. Besides, you may need someone with the tech smarts there to sabotage some of their defenses. Sure, I could do it from afar with Armin and Moblit's help, but that can be a bit slow. We'll still have the two of them working on it in the background from here."

"Moblit's clearance is limited," Mike reminded with a frown.

"Yes, that was part of the deal," she agreed, "but he knows his shit, and if Armin gets a little stuck, he can still help him. So what's it going to be? I'm all suited up and I've got my guns, so don't leave me hanging."

"Hey, don't look at me," Levi said when Erwin glanced at him as if he had the answer. "I didn't know shitty glasses was planning this. By the way Hange, those glasses you're wearing are going to slip off while you're fighting and then you'll be blind as a bat."

"Oh, don't worry about that…but thanks for reminding me." She took off said glasses, handed them to Armin and then reached into one of her uniform pockets to retrieve a pair of goggles, similar to the ones she typically wore into battle in her past life. "See? I'm completely prepared."

"It looks as though you've thought of everything," Erwin said, mystified. "May I just ask what prompted you to reveal this decision at the last possible moment?"

Hange shrugged and spread her hands. "I really didn't think you would agree to it, but I dressed for the occasion under my lab coat just in case. I wasn't expecting Mikasa and Jean to volunteer, but once you gave them the nod, I figured you'd do it for me, too. Am I wrong? Time's wasting, Erwin."

Erwin looked around. People were starting to board their aircrafts, and he really didn't have time to stand there trying to convince this unpredictable person to stay behind. "I have my misgivings, considering you haven't been regularly training like the others. However, your record does speak for itself."

She smirked and winked at him. "In more ways than one, eh? I'll just go climb in with Mikasa and Jean now, if that's all right."

Eren reached for her as she started to take off. "Wait! When did you even train? I never saw you on any of my shifts!"

"Oh, I've been doing it in the wee hours when everyone else is in bed. Don't worry, Eren."

"But I _am_ worried," he insisted, watching her pleadingly. "You've already been shot once. Please, just re-think this."

Hange sobered a bit, and she cupped Eren's face in her hands. "Sweetheart, think back good and hard. I mean waaay back. Do you really believe I can't handle myself?"

Getting her meaning, Eren gulped. "No ma'am."

She nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Just you remember that."

Hange then turned to Erwin again. "Aren't you forgetting something, sir?"

Erwin gave her another frown of confusion. "Such as?"

"Something you used to say all the time when starting off on a new expedition," Hange whispered just loud enough for Erwin and the others she once served with to hear. When he hesitated, she smiled. "Go on…you know you want to say it."

Levi rolled his eyes. "Just say it, sir. She's not going to drop it until you do. Most everyone else is already boarded, so you're out of time."

Erwin glanced between Levi and all the other expectant faces. His expression changed when his eyes settled on Hange once more and she nodded encouragingly at him. "What the hell. _All squads, advance!_ "

"Wahoo! Advance like hell!" Hange shouted, and then she, Mike and Erwin were off to board their crafts.

"I don't understand anything about that conversation," announced Madeline Jaeger to her son as they watched them go.

Eren chuckled. "Trust me, Mom, you're probably best off not trying."

* * *

-To be continued


	30. Chapter 30

Erwin's flight team took the lead in the initial attack, opening fire on the target facility and dropping bombs to weaken the structure. Mike led the ground attack, diving out of the chopper with the other titan slayers following in his wake. Hange was hooting like a mad woman, her adrenaline spiked up in the heat of the moment. She missed her target when she fired her grapplers, and for one brief moment she experienced a tingle of fear. She tumbled out of control through the sky, cursing as she drew the wires back in and searched for another anchor. Someone caught her around the waist, and she realized it was Jean.

"I've got you, Hange," he shouted over the noise of the rushing wind, explosions and gunfire. "I thought you said you've been practicing!"

"All right, maybe I'm a little rusty," she hollered back. Now that Jean had her leveled out, she was able to aim for a more ideal structure. This research compound lacked the towers of the last one they'd hit, but there seemed to be a lot more ground security. Hange gasped as a bullet whizzed by her ear, clipping off a strand of hair in its wake. "Whoo! Close one!"

"Spread out," shouted Mike. "All teams, break off into groups of three! We need to take down the ground opposition fast and get inside!"

Hange joined Mike's group, while Mikasa, Jean and another agent broke off into another. Eld and Petra led the way for their companion, and soon the ODM specialists were soaring about twenty feet above the surface of the compound. Erwin and the other air strike teams were careful not to directly fire upon the areas below where the titan slayers were located, instead keeping heavy fire concentrated on the outer rim. Two of the ODM specialists got shot down before they could make it to an access grate, and the teams were forced to split up further. Mikasa and Jean stayed close to Mike's group, and they made it in together after a wild, desperate skirmish with BRS security.

"Armin, we need you to try and scramble the security lock system," Hange announced through her communication head peace. "Do you copy?"

There was a crackle as the scholarly blond answered her. "I copy, Miss Hange! I'll do my best."

* * *

Armin was practically tearing his hair out in frustration. He'd tried several different methods to crack into the target facility's security, but so far it had all failed. "Moblit, I need some help. I'm running into a brick wall each time!"

The older blond leaned over to peer at Armin from the other side of the computer screens, where he was seated. "It's a weak chance, but try this code, Armin." He scribbled something down on a notebook he had at his desk, and he passed it to Armin.

"Okay…okay." Armin's hands started to shake as he looked at the code given to him. His fingertips flew over the keyboard, typing it in hastily. He hit the enter key, and he crossed his fingers as he watched the data bar fill up on the screen. "I think…maybe…"

He got in. Armin breathed a huge sigh of relief, and he smiled at Moblit. "That worked, sir! Well done!"

"Did it? I'm surprised." Moblit's brows furrowed. "I would have expected them to have changed that code after the attack on the Trost facility."

"Maybe they didn't have the time," reasoned Armin distractedly. "Whatever the reason for it, we're in. Sir, I don't know this system. I think you should come over here and navigate me through it for expedience purposes."

Moblit nodded, and he got up and walked around to the other side to assist. He glanced up at the screen playing a live feed of the attack, and he grimaced a bit. "I had no idea she was planning on doing this," he sighed.

Armin glanced at him. "You mean Hange?"

Moblit nodded. "Some things never change. She's still as spontaneous as ever."

Armin nodded in agreement. "That's Squad Commander Hange, for you. I knew she was thinking of it, but I wasn't expecting her to decide at the last minute. I should have known better."

"Me too." Moblit pulled up the chair from the console next to Armin's. "All right, you need to look for this file. That will get us into the main security systems and allow us to give Hange and the others access to the deeper interior."

Levi came up behind the two busy men, and he watched Armin's screen with interest. "Are there titans in this facility, or do you know?"

"This one? I'm not sure," admitted Moblit. "Most of the bigger ones like Trost and Tarsus Valley have titan containment, but the one they're hitting right now is one of the smaller ones. There might not be any titans contained there at all. They really should be focusing on the larger compounds, Captain."

"I'm aware of that," sighed Levi. "Trust me, I'm all for hitting the biggest threats first. That's now how they've elected to do it, though. Hange's going to be disappointed if there aren't any titans to fight on this mission."

"I just hope Satellite Core doesn't get physically involved in this," muttered Moblit.

Levi cocked his head at him, and he stepped closer to affix the man with a narrow-eyed look. "They're already gotten a little involved. If there's something else we need to be watching out for, I suggest you tell me now."

Moblit tore his attention off of what Armin was doing, and he looked up at Levi with a faintly dreading expression. "The exospheric stations. As far as I know, Satellite Core had no plans to deploy them because of the amount of destruction they're capable of, but that could change."

Levi recalled hearing about those things. Orbiting the planet with the satellites, the space stations were virtual fortresses. "You think those things could re-enter the atmosphere and pose a real threat?"

"They have advanced weapon systems on them," explained Moblit. "Originally designed to protect our nation from invasion, they're fully capable of movement and function in the lower layers of atmosphere. They were put in orbit for the purpose of quick reaction, sir."

"Why didn't you offer this information a lot sooner?" Levi was getting a dangerous look in his eyes that Moblit was all too familiar with, now that he had his memories back.

"I told Hange about it, and I'm sure she's documented it all." Moblit cringed a bit. "It's been a very chaotic week, Captain. I've been juggling past life memories with present ones."

Levi looked at Armin's screen again. "I guess if Hange thought it was an immediate threat, she'd have said something. All we can do is wait and see."

"Okay, I'm in," announced Armin, listening to the conversation with one ear while doing his work. "I think I can shut down the main system now…at least for a little while."

Levi nodded. "Good. Do that." He looked across the control room at Eren, who was in a conversation with Connie and Sasha. Levi left Armin and Moblit to it, and he crossed the distance to join his boyfriend. "Looks like they should have it under control soon," he informed him. "Hopefully this mission will be high and tight, and they'll be heading back by noon."

Eren nodded. "Let's hope so. Any luck finding Reiss yet?"

"None so far." Levi shook his head. "They've still got people working on that. Hell, he might not even be on the planet right now, for all we know."

"Sir?" Sasha looked at the captain, wide-eyed. "What does that mean?"

"Satellite Core," answered Levi calmly. "They've got these space stations up there…apparently with full weapon systems. That pig Reiss might have decided he'd be better off on one of those, and if that's the case, it's going to be a lot fucking harder to get him into custody."

"Oh, man." Connie scratched his head. His hair was growing back, and it was about half an inch in length. Levi was mildly surprised to see that it was a blond shade. "If that's true, then what can they do about it?"

Levi shrugged. "Keep taking out the BRS facilities. Preventing any titans from being released into the population is the top priority, right now. I'm not sure how deep into this Satellite Core plans to get. So far their involvement only seems to have been in hacking us whenever possible."

The three friends looked at one another, each of them wearing concerned expressions on their young faces.

* * *

"Hange, can you hurry it up?" Mike stood with Jean and Mikasa, keeping watch as Hange worked to override more systems from within. They'd made it to the facility's main security control room, meeting up with their comrades on the way. Three guards and two technicians lay out cold and cuffed on the floor a few feet away, and Hange's fingertips busily tapped away at the keyboard she sat at.

"I'm moving as fast as I can," she answered in a distracted manner. The light of the screen reflected off her goggles, her eyes flicking over the display as she worked. "Armin and Moblit got the front door open for us. If I can get this part done, we should have access to the lowest levels. You just work on getting the other teams here while I focus on this. We're going to need them if there are titans held in this place."

Mike took a deep breath through his nose, and he shook his head. "I don't smell any titans."

"Well, we're still on the surface level," excused Hange. She shrugged. "Maybe you just aren't close enough to smell them, yet."

Mike grunted. Before at the last facility, he'd detected the creatures' odor as soon as they'd made it inside. That was a bigger compound than this was. He didn't argue with the scientist, though. The scent of gunfire was in the air, and that could be interfering with his sense of smell. He doubted it, though.

"Eureka!" Hange crowed at last, grinning. "I've got it. We need to move fast, though, while the system lock holds."

Recalling that it wasn't just the BRS they were up against, Mike nodded. He adjusted his communication set and he spoke into the mic. "Eld, how close are you and Petra to our location?"

There was a crackle, and then the other blond agent answered. "We ran into some more opposition on the way, but we're nearly there. Right now we're stuck in a standoff, though. There's more of them than there are of us, and they're between us and the control room. Think you guys could help out?"

Mike looked around at the others. It was a miracle that the four of them managed to make it here together. Everyone else on their teams went down in the firefight to get through, and Jean had a nasty gash on his forehead. Still, they were going to need Petra and Eld if there actually _were_ titans in this place, just like Hange said. "All right we'll see what we can do. Just hold your ground for as long as you can."

Mike nodded at Hange's gear. "Is it still functional?"

She glanced down at it, examining the left gas canister. It was a bit dinged up, but it didn't appear punctured. "I think so. Lead the charge, Mike."

Mike looked to Mikasa and Jean. "You two get to the lift and hold it, if you can. We'll get the others and bring them."

"Yes sir," agreed Mikasa.

Beside her, Jean nodded and he gingerly touched the hasty bandage job that Hange had applied around his head. "Probably better off holding the elevator, anyway. I'm a little dizzy."

"Hmm, maybe he should stay locked in here," suggested Hange with faint concern.

"No." Mike shook his head. "Reinforcements could show up while he's alone."

Hange conceded to that logic. "All right, then. You have a point. Let's get moving so that we can raze this place to the ground and call it a day, kiddies."

Mike spoke over communications again. "Erwin, do you copy?"

"I copy," answered the director after a moment. "What is your twenty?"

"We're on our way to the lower levels now. Once we've confirmed that it's clear of titans, we'll proceed from there and notify you, over."

"Ten-four. Good luck."

The group checked their weapons before following cautiously behind Mike out the door. He saw two figures duck around the corner up ahead, and he immediately took aim with his guns and opened fire to cover for his companions.

"Go," he urged Jean and Mikasa. "Hange, you—"

He faltered when he turned to look at her, only to find her gone from the spot she'd been in mere seconds ago. Mike heard the hiss of ODM gear and he groaned inwardly when he looked up and saw Hange shooting through the air, directly towards the opposition he'd just forced to lunge for cover. Mike kept his pistols trained on the end of the corridor, and he shot his weapon again when he saw a head briefly pop out from around the corner, immediately causing the man to jerk back out of sight again. He ran after Hange, deciding it was better to keep his guns drawn for ranged cover than to take to the air and employ use of his pairing blades. Jean and Mikasa had launched their gear as well, and they were speeding away in the opposite direction toward the eastern wing and the lift.

As Hange closed in on the opposing agents taking cover around the corner, she yelled wildly and swung left, blades drawn and glinting. "Oh shit," Mike heard her yelp, and he knew he needed to get there faster. Damn the woman…they should be converging on them together. He might have known she would react so impulsively, though.

Mike heard a crash from around the corner Hange had vanished behind, followed by gunfire, a masculine shout and a choked-off gag. The person that had stuck his head out from the right side of the t-intersection earlier suddenly stumbled and fell into view, landing sprawled on his stomach, unmoving. A pool of blood spread out beneath his dark blue uniform, and as Mike closed the distance, he could see by the hole in his back just over where his heart would be that he'd been shot. He rounded the corner with both guns ready, and he found Hange grappling with one of the two other uniformed men. The other one was lying on the floor, alive but unconscious and bleeding from a slash across his chest. Hange's pairing blades clattered over the tiled floor, still attached to the wires connecting it to her gear. She must have either dropped them or gotten them knocked out of her hands when the unexpected additional guards engaged her. She had her hands wrapped around her opponent's wrists, and he had a gun in his hands. He was trying to shoot her, but Hange was a strong individual. The gun went off, and Mike jumped aside hastily when the bullet struck the floor right by his feet.

"Let…go of it," snarled Hange in the enemy guard's face.

Mike trained both of his guns on the man, and he spoke out. "Drop the weapon."

Seeming to realize he was now alone against the two of them and their strange weaponry, the guard finally released his gun and stepped back from Hange as she took it. He held his hands out in a gesture of surrender, blue eyes flicking between the towering blond man and the wild-eyed scientist.

"That's better," Hange noted, a little winded. "Whew, you almost got me, too." Hange glanced down at a tear in the side of her shirt, before looking to Mike. "I grabbed his gun just in time, and he ended up shooting his friend instead." She nodded at the body on the floor near Mike.

Mike shot a quick look at the corpse, and then he checked his supplies. He was out of cuffs. He walked over to the man that just relinquished his weapon, shrugged and then clubbed him on the side of the head with the butt of his gun. He went down immediately and Hange caught him just before he would have hit the floor, lowering him the rest of the way down.

"Subtle, Mike."

"You're one to talk." He shrugged. "Come on." He could hear gunfire further down the corridor to the left. Eld and Petra must be down there.

Hange gathered up her pairing blades with a nod. "It's a good thing you aren't Levi. He would have bitten my head off for that move."

Mike nodded, huffing a little.

* * *

Back at the Maelstrom, Levi listened to the transmissions going back and forth over the secured frequency. This time, they didn't have the advantage of a satellite feed to watch the events unfolding at the target BRS facility. After what happened the last time, Shadis said not to bother. They had to rely on the communication network to monitor what was going on, and right now it was rather confusing. He could hear Erwin and Shadis barking out orders to their squads. At one point, Nanaba reported that she was being tailed by an enemy missile that fired from somewhere on the ground, but Gunther came to her aid and blew it up before it could make impact. Mike was apparently with Hange, Mikasa and Jean somewhere inside of the facility, having lost the rest of their teams during the skirmish to get inside.

"We have Ral and Jinn," Mike announced over the frequency. "Proceeding to the lower levels, now."

Levi rubbed his chin, standing quietly near Armin and Moblit as the pair worked to keep the enemy from regaining control of the system they'd hacked into. If Moblit's swearing was any indication, someone was already trying to break in from another source.

"Armin, there's a code coming through," warned Moblit. "They're trying to override what you've done."

"I know." Armin's voice was as tense as his posture, and his brows were drawn down with determination as he worked to counter it. A series of warning beeps manifested from the computer system, and Armin broke into a sweat. "Oh god…they're in. Moblit, what do you suggest?"

Moblit scooted his chair over to Armin's, and his eyes widened on the screen. When he spoke, it was through tight, bloodless lips. "I know that code. They have to get out of there."

Levi came closer, bending over to peer at the screen over Armin's blond head. The characters popping up in a little red box meant nothing to him. It looked like some weird, alien language from a science fiction movie. "What's happening, Moblit?"

"I _knew_ it was too easy," said Moblit. "Trust me, sir; they need to abort _now_."

There were more warning beeps, louder now. Eren joined Levi's side, and his face bore an anxious, puzzled expression on it. "What the hell are they doing?"

"They're activating a fail-safe paradigm," explained Moblit in a rush. "Anyone inside of that place is going to get locked in there. Captain Levi, tell them to abort!"

Levi hesitated, gray eyes flicking to Pixis, who was currently involved in communications with Shadis. "You don't think you can counter it?" pressed Levi. "Maybe Hange could—"

"No, not this!" Moblit shook his head, and he got out of his chair. "This is a Satellite Core coding language. Maybe we could override it with time, but we don't have that luxury. They're probably going to bring down an exosphere base, and once that breaks through the atmosphere and makes it to the location, people trapped on the inside aren't going to stand a chance! They'll deliver a pulse wave on the compound that will fry all electronics and stun or kill anyone unlucky enough to be inside."

Levi stared at him, narrowing his eyes. "You've seen these things in action before." It wasn't a question.

Moblit swallowed and nodded. "I was caught up in one, at the last BRS facility I worked for before transferring to Trost. There was a flaw in the security of the specimen holding area, just like at Trost. Satellite Core came down while we were trying to evacuate. I don't remember everything, because I woke up from a coma a week later. I just remember seeing a bright light and feeling the neutralizing pulse go through me as I was heading for the emergency exit."

Moblit nodded at the coding still steadily appearing on Armin's screen, despite Arlert's attempts to block it. "I remember that coding, now that I'm seeing it again. I saw it in our systems just before the evacuation was called."

Levi's brows hedged a bit, and he briefly glanced at Eren's worried face before speaking again. "These neutralizing pulses you're talking about…can they subdue titans?"

"Yes, most of them," confirmed Moblit. "Some of the really large specimens are resistant to it, but it still disorients them enough for recapture and containment. Please, sir…just get them out of there before it's too late. All of your titan slaying teams are going to end up captured or killed if I'm right about this, and your air forces aren't going to have the firepower to take out an exosphere station."

"Mike said he didn't detect any titans in this facility," Levi pointed out. "If that's the case, then the only reason they would have to employ this neutralizing pulse would be to subdue our people without killing them all."

"Of course," Armin sighed in dismay. "They would want to try and take some of them alive for questioning, especially if they know some of them are UFI agents and might know where Eren is." He turned and looked up at Levi. "I can't block it, sir. With all due respect, I think you should listen to Moblit and try to get them to pull out."

Levi took a slow breath. Erwin was there, along with Hange and the others…including most of his old Levi squad. In addition, Eren would be unquestioningly devastated if anything happened to Mikasa that they might have prevented. "Shit. All right. Keep trying while I go talk to Pixis. I think you're right."

* * *

"Well, pooh. It looks like your nose wasn't lying, Mike. No titans."

Hange stood looking around at what obviously must have been a holding area for the humanoid creatures at one point and time. All of the giant capsules lining the walls were empty.

"You sound so disappointed," Petra observed, joining Hange as the doctor approached one of the vacant tanks to examine it. "Those things are terrifying, Dr. Zoë. I think relief is what we should be feeling, right now."

Hange narrowed her eyes, and she climbed up on the platform with a little grunt, pressing her hands against the thick, clear walls of the tank. "There are still traces of liquid beading the inside," she announced thoughtfully. "These containment units were only recently emptied. Maybe only a day or two ago."

"I don't get it," Jean said, looking up at the capsule from his place down below next to Mikasa. "How the hell would they get something as big as a titan out of these things so quickly? A crane of some sort?"

Hange cast another look around at their surroundings. There were ten containment units in all, and the five on the side opposite of the one she was at looked to be dry. This sector had only recently housed five titans, by all appearances. That didn't mean it hadn't been full at one point, though. Hange jumped down, and she went to the control panel on the side of the platform. She pointed it out.

"I can't show you because I don't have the code to activate it, but the green button and the lever here are how they open these containers up and lower the glass. They put a new subject inside, wait for the transformation to occur, and then fill the tank. They keep the titans in a state of hibernation, when they don't need them conscious for testing."

"Okay, so how did they transport them, and where to?" Eld questioned, scratching the blond fuzz on his chin.

Hange shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. This could possibly be just a staging area, since these facilities are smaller than the ones like outside Trost. I'm sure they have the means to move the specimens, but I'm curious as to how they do it without drawing attention to it."

"Yeah, that's a big damned haul, even to just move the smaller ones," Mike agreed.

"They probably couldn't do it by air," surmised Eld. "The titans would be too heavy, wouldn't you think?"

Hange smiled, her scientific mind stimulated as always by the discussion of titan physiology. "Actually, titans are astoundingly lighter than their bulk would suggest. If you had the severed limb of even one of the fifteen meter classes in front of you, you could pick it up without breaking a sweat."

Mikasa, Jean and Mike all nodded, having the recollection from their past lives to confirm what Hange was saying. Petra and Eld both looked dubious, but they didn't question her explanation. Mike wordlessly slipped off the pack he was wearing strapped to his gear, and he nodded at Eld for him to do the same with his. Hange continued to ponder the possibilities of what happened to the specimens while the two men started setting up explosive charges.

"You know," Hange said with a little frown, "we had surprisingly little opposition to worry about, once we made it to this level. Even without specimens in here to monitor, I would have assumed they would at least have some research staff down here, preparing these tanks for the next batch. Aside from that one scientist we found outside this chamber, this floor seems deserted." She nodded at the bound and gagged man curled up in the far corner of the room near the reinforced exit/entry door.

"Okay, it's really disturbing how you keep talking about it like they're baking cookies," Jean pointed out. "Just saying."

"But she's made a good point." Mikasa looked about with narrowly suspicious eyes as well. "Once we got past the top level, we barely encountered any enemies at all. Something feels wrong about that."

Mike grunted, occupied with arming the explosives. "Let's just get this finished and rendezvous with our comrades topside. Be ready to haul ass. Once we arm these things, there's no easy way to kill them."

"Last one out the door is a rotten egg," muttered Jean.

Eld got his set up first, and he waited for Mike to finish for the nod to arm it.

"On three," said Mike. "One…two…three."

Both men pressed the red button at the same time, and the glowing crimson numbers began to count down from five minutes. Mike straightened up and wiped his hands off on his pants before starting for the door. "Come on, Hange. We don't have time to worry about where they took the titans."

"I suppose not," she sighed, and she joined him and the others. She outpaced them, and just as she was about to reach the huge, reinforced metal sliding door, it started lowering at a rapid pace. "What the _hell_?"

Hange reacted quickly, activating her ODM gear in favor of trying to run the rest of the way. She heard other gas canisters go off behind her as her companions followed suit, and she made it to the door just as it slammed shut with all the finality of a tomb lid being sealed. She landed against the door feet-first, hanging a couple of feet off the floor. Hange dropped down to Mike's side, and she went to the door's control panel. The lights flickered overhead as she tried punching in codes to open it. None of them worked. She bit her lip and looked down at their captive before squatting in front of him to look him over. Hange reached out and grabbed the keycard around his neck, lifting it over his head to try it on the control panel. Nothing.

"Please don't tell me we're trapped down here with those bombs about to go off," Jean groaned.

Petra immediately tried her communication gear. "Director, do you copy? We have a situation down here."

She didn't receive an answer. The others tried their devices, and they got the same results.

"Not again," sighed Eld.

* * *

"What happened? Why are we off-line?" Levi knew the answer already, though, and he cursed. It looked like Satellite Core or someone else allied with the BRS managed to lock down their communications again. He'd thought they had it secured enough now to avoid that problem, but whatever coding the enemy was using proved to be stronger than their latest security updates.

"Shit." Levi hurried over to Pixis, who was frowning in concentration as he too attempted to reach their people. "Any luck, sir?"

"None," stated Pixis. His lined face took on a faintly grim expression as he met the younger man's gaze. "It seems we should have acted sooner, Agent Ackerman."

Levi's gaze slid to Eren, who now stood wide-eyed behind Armin. Connie and Sasha had come up on either side of the singer, also looking to Levi as if he had all the answers. The agent dragged his fingers through his black hair, and then he looked to Moblit and Armin.

"I'm going to try Erwin's phone," he informed them, though he doubted very much that the director would answer it. The man was piloting a plane, after all. "You two keep trying to fix this shit. We've got to get in touch with them somehow, or this is going to end in disaster."

* * *

Now he was flying deaf, so to speak. Erwin couldn't reach any of his squad mates or the command center. Without the ability to communicate with one another to coordinate strikes, they wouldn't be able to converge easily on the next target. The good thing was that so far, no enemy air support had arrived to oppose them. Most of the action happened on the ground, and Erwin frowned when he flew lower and saw vehicles coming out of the compound. The ground forces were rapidly vanishing.

"They're abandoning it," he reasoned. Even if they'd been expecting them, this facility wasn't armed as the Trost one had been. Perhaps they were giving up and getting out while they could. Erwin was suspicious of the timing, though. First his communications went down, and then BRS people started evacuating the compound. It seemed a bit too convenient to be mere coincidence—unless his was the only communication system glitching.

Swearing softly to himself, Erwin climbed to a higher elevation just to be safe, and he dug out his cell phone. He plugged it in to his communication system and he sought out Levi's contact number, knowing that none of his allies on this mission were likely to have their phones accessible.

Levi picked up almost immediately, but Erwin had trouble hearing him through the headphones. "Levi? Can you hear me?"

"Shit…out of there, Erwin. Communications….down. Sa…core's planning…according to Moblit."

Erwin frowned, unable to make out half of what Levi was saying. "I take it my communications aren't the only ones failing?"

"No, it's not," answered Levi. His voice came through just a little clearer. "Get our people out of…compound. Moblit thinks SC is on the way. Pixis…trying to call off…mission, but he can't reach anyone."

Erwin understood enough from that. The problem was signaling somehow to his allies and reaching the ones on the ground to collect them. His mind immediately went to flares, but of course he had none he could fire from his plane, and no signal system set up even if he did. "Damn it. Conveying the order to abort won't be easy without our communications online."

"We're working on that," Levi said. "Just figure something out, chief. You're smart."

"Very well. Wish us luck. I'll try to contact you if communications aren't up when I've thought up a plan and executed it."

Erwin ended the call, and he tried his transmitter equipment once more. When he got nothing, he gave up and he wracked his brain for a solution. Signal…signal…how could he relay the retreat order to his comrades? It wasn't as though he could pass them a note…

At once, Erwin smirked. Actually, he _could_ pass a note. It just required a bit of finesse.

* * *

"What in the hell is he doing?" Nanaba watched in confusion as Erwin Smith's fighter jet began to fly in a weird pattern. "Is he hit?" She glanced over at her copilot, who shrugged as he kept trying to get a response from someone.

"He's trailing a lot of smoke all the sudden," observed Justin. He tilted his head, still thumping his mic with his thumb in a futile attempt to get it working. "Wait…is that a letter?"

Nanaba's eyes slitted as she peered at the Jet, watching it do barrel rolls through the air. The thick white smoke came out in spurts, and after a moment of hovering and watching, she started to see the pattern that Erwin was creating in the sky.

"Holy shit. He's writing something," she said in awe. She read the cursive word out as it formed. "A-B-O-R-T. I guess something's gone wrong, then."

"People down below are fleeing the scene," Justin said, leaning over to look out his copilot window. "Damn, I thought we just had them routed."

Nanaba considered the communications trouble they were having, and she shook her head. "There must be something else going on behind the scenes that's compromising this mission. Zacharius and the others are still down there in that compound, too. I'm going lower to see if we can spot them."

"They probably haven't gotten the order to retreat," guessed Justin.

Nanaba said nothing in response to that, and she compressed her lips grimly as she descended closer to the compound to circle around and seek out a familiar, tall blond figure and his companions. "Whatever's happening to make them call off this strike, we aren't just leaving them down there. We've got to at least try to retrieve them."

* * *

Erwin noticed Nanaba's chopper breaking away from the rest of the fleet, and he checked his fuel reserves. He could guess what her goal was as she started hovering over the compound, circling around as if searching for something or someone. Deciding she might need some backup, Erwin dropped his altitude as well to search for their companions on the ground. He wasn't sure what exactly Levi had been trying to warn him about over the phone, but odds were it wasn't good. He could only presume the enemy was calling in air support or planning something big, given the urgency of the retreat order.

He noticed a couple of other fighter jets joining him, getting into a tight formation with him. Good. He wasn't the only one to recall that they still had people on the ground. If anything posed a danger to Nanaba's seek and rescue attempts, she would have at least some support at her back.

* * *

"Jean, stop it," Mikasa advised her boyfriend. "Kicking and beating on the door isn't going to get it to open."

"Well excuse me if I'm not resigned to getting blown up," he grunted. "Hange, any luck?"

Hange shook her head, straightening up to look at him and Mikasa. "This control panel is dead. Either the power to it's been choked off, or it's just been fried. That option to get out of here is off the table."

"What if we try to pry it open?" Petra asked, wide-eyed. She looked over her shoulder at her partner and Mike, who were both trying to disarm the bombs that Mike had warned just moments ago couldn't be easily defused. Mike was silently working over his, while Eld was cussing up a storm and breaking into a sweat.

"Sweetheart, those doors are designed to keep titans in here, in the event that any of them get free of containment tanks," Hange explained, her wine-colored gaze softening on the younger woman. "We aren't going to be able to force them open physically."

"Well _you're_ the genius," snapped Jean at the doctor. "Don't just stand around shooting down ideas…come up with something!"

"I'm thinking," Hange said with maddening calm. She tapped her lips with her fingertips, her gaze straying to the titan holding tanks. Then it settled on the lab technician they'd captured and dragged in with them, and she gave a tiny nod of decision before approaching him and squatting down. He was quaking with fear, the whites of his eyes showing as he looked between Hange and the two agents trying to stop the bomb countdowns. Hange reached out to remove his gag, and she stared at him levelly.

"What's the code for the titan containment capsules?"

"W-why?" he whimpered.

Hange's stare was intense and a bit wild. "Because those oversized aquariums may be our only shot at surviving, when those bombs go off. Unless you've got a way to get that door open, of course. Even then, we aren't likely to make it back up to the surface and out of here before the explosion. Now give me the code."

The man had to think about it for a second, his terror handicapping his ability to recall the code right away. As soon as she had it, Hange went over to the nearest capsule and she punched the sequence in. "Guys, leave off that," she called out, lowering the glass-like walls of the tank down into the pedestal. "We've got less than two minutes to get into this thing."

"How is a tube of fucking glass supposed to protect us?" Jean demanded.

"It isn't just glass," she stated. "Or rather, it isn't the sort of glass you're thinking of. It's sort of an advanced form of plexiglass, and it can take several tons of pressure _and_ heat without breaking. It's several feet thick, and I've seen it withstand the blows of angry, hungry titans fresh out of transformation. This is our best chance, so hop up there."

Jean and Mikasa climbed up, and then Hange freed the captive scientist from his bonds so that he could climb up as well. Mike, Petra and Eld joined them all within the circle, easily able to fit together on one giant platform.

"Are you sure about this, Hange?" Mike muttered with a sidelong glance at her.

"I'm sure we're more likely to stay in one piece in here than out there," she said with a shrug. "Oh hell…I just realized something."

"What?" Petra and Jean both asked at the same time.

"Someone has to be _outside_ of the tank to operate the control panel and raise the tube back up." Hange swore softly. "Well, I guess that would be me, then. It was my idea."

"I'll do it," said Mikasa flatly.

Hange looked at her thoughtfully. "Are you sure? It could be tricky getting back in here before it seals, kiddo."

"I can do it," insisted Mikasa. "I'll anchor my gear to the ceiling and lower myself back in before this thing closes."

Hange nodded. "All right. It shouldn't rise too fast for you to manage that. Just hurry…"

Mikasa didn't waste another moment. She jumped down off the platform, and she went to the control panel. Following Hange's explanation of how it worked from earlier, she went through the motions and as soon as the glass-like tube began to rise from the floor of the platform, she used her gear to get back up and drop down with her companions. The timer on the bombs was at exactly twenty seconds, and Petra squirmed as she watched the tube steadily rise around them to encase them.

Then, clear liquid began to seep into the tank from what looked like vents on the floor of it. Everyone looked down, and Mike nudged Hange. "What about that?"

"Fuck," groaned Hange. "It must have been set to fill up for a titan occupant."

"Wait, isn't that going to sedate us?" Petra asked, recalling what she'd heard of how they kept the subjects of their experiments docile.

"I'm more worried about it drowning us," Eld pointed out. "Maybe titans don't need to breathe to live, but we sure as hell do."

Hange looked up at the top of the tank. It had already sealed. There was no way to get out to adjust the settings of the containment tank. With that realization came yet another dilemma; how they would escape this tank even if it protected them from the blast and falling debris.

"Well, how long can you all hold your breath?" Hange finally asked.

The liquid was up to her knees now, and the bomb timers were down to five seconds.

* * *

Erwin saw Nanaba's chopper begin to hover down near one of the entrances to the compound, where Mike's team had initially gone in. He circled his jet around again, leading the formation so that they could stay on guard against any threats. The rest of the air fleet had turned away to return to base, leaving just the three fighter jets and Nanaba's transport chopper remaining. Erwin jumped a little when he heard a crackle over his headset, and then Levi's voice piped through, tight with frustration.

"Any of you motherfuckers hear me yet, or what?"

With a grimace, Erwin adjusted the volume of his gear. "I copy, Agent Ackerman. The yelling isn't necessary."

"What's your status," cut in Pixis before Levi could respond. "Has the retreat been relayed, Smith?"

"Yes, it has," answered Erwin. "All aircraft with the exception of four have turned back as directed, Commander. Myself, Shadis and Schultz are giving an escort to Lt. Nanaba for a search and rescue operation to retrieve the titan slaying teams. They were still inside of the compound when we lost communications. Have any of them contacted you?"

"I'm afraid not," said Pixis.

Erwin frowned. "Mike, do you copy? Eld? Mikasa? Hange? Do _any_ of you copy this?"

Levi and Pixis went silent, waiting for an answer as well. Nothing was forthcoming. Erwin swore, and he considered landing his aircraft to go inside of the facility himself to look for them. The thought was broken seconds after it came to him, though. There was a roaring sound, and he looked at the horizon to see something enormous coming down out of the sky, orange-lit underneath from the heat of atmosphere re-entry. His mouth fell open.

"Just what in the living hell is that?" Shadis exclaimed over the frequency.

Erwin couldn't answer that question. He'd never seen anything like it. It spanned a mile in circumference from his viewpoint, and it was shaped almost like a snowflake. Made of heat resistant metals and polymers, it descended slowly over the BRS facility, blasting jets to control its descent. The center hub rotated in circles, and gigantic rotaries spun on each arm near what looked to be some form of solar panels built into the outer hub.

"Something is descending from the sky," Erwin reported, unable to tear his eyes off of it. "I would say it resembles a satellite, but it's far too big."

"Moblit wants to know what it's shaped like, Erwin," Levi said.

"Rather like a snowflake," answered the director. "It has several spokes and two hubs, with a spinning center."

Levi went quiet for a minute, and when he spoke again, he Erwin detected sardonic, dark amusement in his tone. "The Star Kraken? Really? Who the hell comes up with this shit?"

"I beg pardon?" Erwin said, flying a little closer to the floating work of modern space technology.

"Smith, not too close," advised Shadis. "We don't know what that thing can do."

"Moblit says it's one of several exosphere stations that that satellite core has orbiting the planet. He thinks that's what you're looking at. Any sign of four eyes or the others, yet?"

"Not so far, no." Erwin made another pass over Nanaba, keeping one eye on the strange vessel higher up in the atmosphere. Now that he got a better look at it, he _did_ see a resemblance to a mythical kraken's maw…at least from the bottom. As he was contemplating this, the exosphere station began to glow in the center with an eerie blue light.

"Something's happening," Erwin said over the frequency. "The bottom of it's lighting up."

"Shit," Nanaba's voice said. "What does that mean?"

"You'd better get clear of the ground, Nanaba," Levi suggested. "Moblit says that thing can drop some kind of pulse stunners that can kill whoever it doesn't make comatose. I don't know if that's what it's doing, but I wouldn't take the chance."

"But the others…" Nanaba protested.

Erwin was about to suggest searching another part of the compound, when there was a rumble from deep below. The ground started to crack, smoke began to billow up and structures around the compound shook and started crumbling. The realization of what must have happened hit him like a fist in the gut, and his search for any sign of his deputy director or the others grew more desperate.

"Mike, do you copy?" Erwin said urgently into his mouthpiece. "You have air transport waiting for you. Can any of you answer me?"

There was no answer forthcoming, and whatever the Star Kraken had been about to do got aborted. The blue light faded, and as Erwin and his comrades watched, the BRS compound began to crumble and collapse, burying research, equipment and anyone unfortunate enough to still be inside.

* * *

Levi met up with Erwin at the hangar when the director and his entourage arrived back at the Maelstrom. Eyes grim in his pale face, Levi approached his director's jet as soon as the hatch opened and Erwin climbed out of it. He cast a look at Nanaba's helicopter in the slim hope that he would see Mike and the others stepping out of it despite the odds, but only the blond pilot and her co-pilot exited. Levi met Erwin's bright blue gaze with his own, a silent question in his eyes. Erwin's stoic mask cracked a bit, and he lowered his gaze and shook his head.

"They succeeded in their mission, as best as I can tell," Erwin said softly. "The BRS base collapsed under an internal explosion that I can only presume came from the bomb packs that Mike and Eld went in with. There was no sign of any titan activity. If any were being held in that facility, they must have been dispatched."

Levi gave a sharp, tense nod. Inwardly, he felt a wave of nausea. He'd lost them again, and Eren lost Mikasa. Once again, he couldn't give Petra or Eld proper funeral rites. Levi felt a tremor go through him, and he suppressed it. "So what did that space station do? Did it blow anything up, or was all the damaged caused internally?"

"It stopped whatever it was doing when the compound started to cave in," answered the blond man. He sighed, and he met Levi's gaze again. "I'm going to go with Shadis to exchange reports, casualty counts and the names of those missing in action. For now, I'm putting our titan slaying team and Hange on the latter, and I'm going to suggest that we attempt to send search parties to scour the area as soon as the threat from Satellite Core has lessened enough to do so."

Now it was Levi's turn to lower his gaze. There was nothing more to be done. All they could do for now was pull it together as best they could, plan and hope that Hange and the others made it out of there alive.

* * *

Eren met Levi back in their guest quarters when the agent texted him, pulling his attention away from his friends and the animated discussion they were having about recent events. The minute he looked into Levi's eyes, he knew he had bad news. Eren closed the door slowly behind him, afraid to ask, but desperate to know.

"Eren, sit down," Levi said softly.

Eren looked at the bed they were sharing, and then back at Levi. "Just tell me…please."

Levi's mouth pulled into a brief, unhappy frown. He moved a little closer to the singer, stopping before him to hold his gaze. "They never made it out, as far as anyone can tell. Mike, Hange, Eld, Petra, Jean…and Mikasa. For now, they're considered missing in action. Search and rescue efforts will be made as soon as possible, but you were there listening to what was going on, Eren. Despite the fact that the strike force had to pull out, for all intents and purposes, the mission was a success. That facility is rubble, now."

Eren swallowed hard, and his eyes began to glisten with tears, jewel-bright as they searched Levi's face. "Do you think…they got eaten?"

"I doubt it. There was no evidence of titans there. Mike didn't even smell any, and you know how strong his sense of smell is."

Eren closed his eyes, and his hands clenched into fists. He swallowed again as a tear trickled down each cheek. He felt Levi's cool hands cup his face, and he opened his eyes to look at him again. "I want to go on the search mission." His voice was husky and raw. Mikasa…Jean…Hange…could they really be gone? He'd convinced himself that he'd see them as soon as the whole fleet got back, that they couldn't possibly die in that place and they would all sit and talk until the early hours of the morning. Now he might never see them again in this lifetime.

"Eren, it's too dangerous for you to go anywhere near any of those facilities," reminded Levi. "Even if it's been blown to shit. It's escalating, and people that were just in the background before are taking action on both sides of the coin."

"But I have to know." Eren put his hands over the ones cupping his face, pleading with his eyes. Then again, could he bear it to find Mikasa's lifeless body, crushed and broken or burnt to a crisp? Could he handle finding _any_ of them that way?

Levi considered him quietly for a moment, and Eren braced himself inwardly. "Go ahead," he husked, fighting more tears and frustration. "Call me an idiot and push me around."

Instead of doing any of that, Levi brushed his thumbs under Eren's eyes to wipe away his tears. He spoke in a soft, shockingly gentle voice to him. "You know I can't let you, Eren. What I'll do instead is to join the recovery mission myself. I imagine Erwin will do his best to make it happen sooner, rather than later."

"You're still recovering, though." Eren trembled, disarmed by his lover's attempts to soothe him.

"I've healed up enough to manage this," Levi assured him. "With any luck, there won't be any enemy forces lingering for long, and with a small team we won't attract much attention. I can get into tighter spaces than most people, too. I'll bring my cell phone with me and you'll be one of the first to know if I find anything, okay?"

Eren almost had one of his "all balls and no brains" moments, on the verge of reasoning with Levi that if he thought a small team could go searching there un-noticed, there was no reason Eren couldn't go with them. He saw the glint of steel behind Levi's softened gaze, though. If Mikasa and the others really had died, then Eren would be throwing their sacrifice away by visiting the site where it happened. He could read all of that in the faintly troubled expression on Levi's face.

"What if the BRS finds them first?" Eren refused to speak of them as if they were already dead. He wasn't ready to resign himself to that.

"Then at least they'll be alive, and we can work to find out where they've taken them and come up with a plan to get them back," said Levi. He put an arm around Eren as the taller man's knees started to buckle, and he steered him towards the bed. "Lay down. You're too worked up, and you'll make yourself sick."

Eren let himself be hustled into bed, and he rolled onto his side to face his lover as Levi sat down on the edge of it. Recalling what had been done to him when he was in the hands of the BRS, and the confirmation that Reiss was after his loved ones too, Eren felt sick. What would the organization do to them, if they got their hands on them? What would they do to Levi? His head was spinning with the horrible possibilities.

"Levi…would you go and get my mom? I feel like I need to be near her for a while."

Levi nodded. "Sure." He paused to give Eren's hair a brief, soft stroke before getting up to do as requested.

* * *

Night fell, and the waning moonlight glowed in the dust and ash particles lingering in the air around the still-smoking ruin of what remained of a government research compound. Competing with this haunting, dim light was the flash of red, blue, orange and white from the public service vehicles forming a perimeter around the site of the explosion. A fireman's boot stepped down on something that snapped, and he bent over to shine his flashlight and investigate. He lifted a pair of fractured prescription goggles, the broken straps secured to them dangling from the ends. He called his team over and they searched the area, but when the rubble started shifting dangerously, they had to stop and move on. It was too dark to conduct a more thorough search without putting rescue teams at serious risk. A more involved search would just have to wait until morning.

Shortly after the rescue workers left the area to investigate other parts of the wreckage, some of the rubble near the spot where the broken goggles were found began to shift. A chunk rolled away, and another soon followed. Nobody was nearby to notice it.

* * *

-To be continued


	31. Chapter 31

_Author's Note: Part of this chapter has been censored to comply with FFnet's rating policy. To read the uncensored version with the smutty bits, go to Archive of Our Own._

Erwin was in his temporary office, rubbing his forehead as he went over the reports. The fact that the mission was ultimately a success did nothing to ease the burden on his broad shoulders. The sacrifice just didn't seem worth it, to him. Not only had they lost one of the best UFI agents they had and their only titan expert, but he personally had lost friends...and two young people that he'd once taken under his wing and trained himself. It ached his heart, and it made it difficult for him to focus on the situation with objectivity. He was angry. He was feeling personally vengeful toward his enemies, and he knew that was the wrong approach to take. He needed to be steady. He needed to focus on what had to be done, and put his personal feelings aside for clarity of thought. He needed...vengeance.

The door opened without a knock, and Erwin looked up from his monitor to see Levi Ackerman stride in quietly. The raven-haired agent shut the door behind him, slouched against it casually and met Erwin's blue gaze with hooded, unreadable gray eyes.

"Search and rescue mission," said Levi flatly. "Now."

Erwin sighed, feeling that weight grow heavier. His subordinate's lack of etiquette or restraint didn't surprise him. He'd actually been expecting it from Levi, and the man being true to form brought about a feeling of wistful, aching nostalgia. God, he still loved him...and he loved that Levi didn't hold back. "Levi, I know how you feel about it, but—"

"We aren't discussing what I do or don't feel," interrupted the smaller man coolly. "We're going to discuss what we're going to do about the situation, and you're going to put aside that fucking professional attitude and do the right thing."

For a moment, Erwin couldn't think of a response to that. He could barely even breathe. The look in Levi's eyes was so dead serious and determined. How could anyone refuse him? He'd seen that look before, in another life. The moment that sprang immediately to mind was when he'd ordered a withdrawal from a secured area in Trost, after the second wave of titan attacks came and wiped out the city. Levi had that same cold look in his eyes, protesting the waste of his soldier's lives. As gruff and uncaring as Levi might seem, Erwin knew the man cared passionately for his comrades...probably more than anyone could ever imagine. It made his throat ache, along with his heart.

"You know it isn't that simple," Erwin said as patiently and evenly as possible. "Reports have come in that there are already rescue workers on site, looking for survivors."

Levi tilted his head, and he folded his arms over his chest. His thin brows furrowed slightly, and his mask slipped a bit to reveal the frustration hiding beneath it. "Yeah? How many of those do you think answer to our enemies?"

Erwin lowered his gaze, and he rubbed the bridge of his nose between two fingers. His head was beginning to throb. "More than either of us would find acceptable, I'm sure."

Levi uncrossed his arms, and he walked across the room to bend over Erwin's desk and place his hands flat on the surface. "So do something."

His breath tickled Erwin's skin, smelling of peppermint schnapps. It wasn't an unpleasant scent, but it did give rise to some concern. Lately it seemed like Levi was self-medicating more than could be considered wise. "Levi, how much have you had to drink today?"

The iron gaze didn't waver. "Not enough to be staggering. I'm sober, you piece of shit."

"Hmm, 'piece of shit'. Any other boss might take exception to that sort of remark and write you up for it." Erwin fought a smile, even as he said it. He even loved the way Levi insulted him.

"You're not some other boss," insisted Levi. "You're Erwin Smith, and I know how that brilliant fucking mind of yours works. Stop thinking in tactical terms, for once. Are you willing to leave their fate up to chance? It's Mike. It's Hange. It's _my_ squad."

Knowing he wasn't just referring to Petra and Eld, Erwin felt that ache again. He could see what this was doing to Levi, even if the man wasn't willing to admit it aloud himself. Levi had practically raised the survivors of the 104th himself, after they joined the Survey Corps. He'd nurtured them in his own way, trained them with sweat, blood and tears so that they might stand a better chance of survival in the field. And despite Levi's crude insults against her, the man genuinely cared for Hange. This was tearing Levi apart. Erwin could see that, even if the stubborn little whirlwind couldn't see it himself.

Before he knew what he was doing, Erwin reached out to smooth his thumbs over the tense brows, wanting more than anything to kiss that line of worry between them away. "You always cared so deeply for your people, Ackerman. I never said so, but I admired that quality in you."

Levi didn't waver. "So do something. Don't just sit there spouting compliments to my devotion, Erwin. Don't just...do nothing. Act. For me."

Much as his logical mind protested against the idea, Erwin found himself unable to refuse such a passionate request. He took his hands away from Levi's face, stood up and circled around his desk. Levi straightened up to stare up at him, his angular jaw tense with expectation. Erwin smiled a bit, and he placed his big hands on Levi's taut shoulders. He bowed his head to rest his forehead against the younger man's...the only gesture of affection he trusted himself to give.

"For you," he whispered. "Very well, Levi. Just this once, I'll go over the heads of the brass and give you sanction to take a small team of your choice on an independent rescue operation. I'll find a way to get you the clearance for takeoff. I'll fabricate a mission statement and present the stipulation that you are going on a scouting assignment. You will of course need to come back with data. It just so happens that your trajectory will take you over the ruins of that compound we struck, leaving you the perfect opportunity to collect our missing people, should the opportunity arise. Will that suffice?"

Levi's tension faded, and he tilted his head back to gaze at Erwin solemnly. "Yes. Thanks, chief."

With that said, the cranky, raven-haired firebrand surprised the hell out of his superior by giving him a brief, soft kiss on the jaw. While Erwin stood stunned to his toes, Levi smirked and turned around to leave. He paused at the door to speak once more, without turning. "You're making the right call, you know. There's no shame in putting the lives of your people before a goal, for once."

Erwin nodded slowly, his face still tingling where those soft, pouty lips had touched it. "You have a way of destroying me, Ackerman." He smirked a bit ruefully. "At least I can feel confident about whom I'm sending on this mission. After all, you aren't just a slayer of titans; apparently you're a slayer of helicopters, too."

"Heh...apparently." This time, Levi did turn a little to glance over his shoulder at him, and his expression hardened a bit. "And if any of them get in my way, they'll be going down."

Erwin nodded again. "I don't doubt that."

 _~You deadly, sexy little hummingbird. I wish I had a dozen more like you.~_

* * *

Levi returned to his quarters to find Eren curled up against Madeline, his head against her breast. She had her son in a loose embrace, with her cheek resting against the crown of his head. Levi paused at the sight, and his throat tightened. In this life, he'd been close to his parents. They weren't the same people from his previous life, but he'd loved them. Seeing his lover in his mother's warm embrace caused a stir of emotion in his breast, and he swallowed.

 _~Fuck, I miss my mom.~_

If he were honest with himself, he could say that Madeline Jaeger had filled a hole in his life. Her warm acceptance and encouragement of his and Eren's relationship made her impossible not to like, and her earthy yet spunky ways inspired feelings of fondness in him. He fucking liked the woman. No...he thought he might have started to _love_ her.

"Shit," whispered Levi under his breath. Just what he needed...another person to love and worry about.

Impulsively, Levi took the folded-down comforter in his hands and he covered the pair with it, quietly tucking them in. He started to leave when Eren stirred. "Captain?" murmured the singer, pulling away from his mother to turn his head and look at his lover.

"Shh," whispered Levi with a nod at the slumbering woman in their bed. "Your mom's asleep."

Eren glanced at his mother, and he carefully extracted himself from her embrace. He got out of the bed and he rubbed his eyes with his fists in a boyish, endearing way as he stood up. His hair was mussed, and Levi reached out before he could stop himself to pat the tumbled brown locks back into place.

"Any news?" whispered Eren.

"Come step outside with me," invited Levi softly, nodding toward the door. "We'll talk."

Eren obeyed, and once they were in the corridor with the door shut behind them, Levi explained Erwin's decision to him. The singer visibly brightened, and then his expression became one of stubborn determination. "Take me with you," Eren pleaded, "just this once."

Levi parted his lips to again remind Eren of the danger, but the other man beat him to the punch and grabbed his shoulders. "Levi, I'm not kidding. I've been good, haven't I? I've helped train the others with the gear, and I've done everything you've asked me to do. It's _Mikasa_ , though. I know you must have pulled some heavy strings to get the commander to agree to this, and I know how much our missing friends mean to you. They mean as much to me! Please, just this once. Let me help!"

Levi stared into those earnest green eyes; now laced with gold thanks to Eren's emotions. Just as Erwin had cracked under the pressure, so too did Levi. He sighed, reached up and grabbed the back of Eren's head to draw it down to his own. There foreheads bumped together and Levi shut his eyes, feeling like he was making a big mistake but powerless to keep denying Eren's relentless persuasion.

"Goddammit, Jaeger. You shitty, shitty brat."

Eren smiled. "Is that a 'yes', sir?"

Levi pulled back, and he gazed searchingly into those amazing, beautiful eyes. "If I allow this—and I'm not saying I will—you have got to agree to some ground rules."

Eren nodded. "Of course. Name them."

Briefly shutting his eyes, Levi choked back his reservations. "If we see the slightest hint of opposition, you're to haul ass without looking back. No questions, and no arguments. If you can't accept that—"

"I accept," interjected Eren, eager like a puppy tossed a bone. "I'll do whatever you want me to do, as long as I can help. I promise I won't put myself in un-necessary danger."

Levi met his gaze again, and the schnapps he'd consumed earlier threw away his common sense entirely. "I fucking love you."

Eren's arms stole around him, hugging him tightly. Levi didn't resist as he was pulled into the singer's embrace, and he felt the warmth of his breath on the crown of his head as Eren spoke softly into his hair. "I love you too, Levi. Thank you."

* * *

A few hours later, Eren stood with Connie, Sasha, Armin, Moblit and Reiner as Levi traipsed back and forth to inspect his team. Nanaba stood off to the side, having volunteered as a pilot to join the classified rescue mission.

"The rest of you, I can understand," Levi said, his lucid gaze traveling over each of them. Then his eyes rested on Reiner's bulky form. "You, I don't get. What the fuck reason do _you_ have to go on this assignment?"

Reiner shrugged broad shoulders. "I still don't know exactly what the hell is going on, but I like Kirstein and Ackerman. They were always fair to me, and besides, I'm feeling stir crazy after being stuck down here under the ocean for so long."

"Hmph...good enough." Levi checked his watch. "All right, we're going to deploy in—"

"Eren!" Madeline Jaeger's voice broke through Levi's attempted instructions, effectively stalling them. She ran up to her son and she hugged him, squeezing the breath out of him. "Is it true? Are you going on a scouting mission?"

Eren glanced sidelong at Levi. Of course, 'scouting mission' was the term used for this endeavor, and he couldn't part with the truth even for his mother. "Yeah Ma, it's true. Don't worry, though. My orders are to get lost as soon as there's any hint of trouble. Levi won't let anything happen to me."

Madeline looked to the captain, and she smiled a bit tremulously. "Of course, he won't. I trust him." She looked back at Eren, and she bit her lower lip. "You have your gear, right? The OMG gear?"

Levi choked a bit on the tea he was carrying and sipping, and Eren caught a snicker that manifested in his throat. It wasn't the first time his mother got the acronyms confused. "That's 'ODM' gear, Mom."

"'ODM', 'OMG', meh." She waved a dismissive hand. "I really can't keep up with all of these damned acronyms. Sue me."

"We'll be gearing up before takeoff, ma'am," Levi assured, having regained his composure quickly. "Trust me, your son isn't going to be without it on this mission."

Eren met the captain's eyes, and he saw that warning in his pale gaze again. There was no doubt that Levi expected him to flee by whatever means necessary at the first hint of trouble, and Eren nodded firmly. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, because Eren couldn't imagine himself leaving his friends and lover behind to save his own skin.

"Just watch after my boy, Agent Ackerman," Madeline said, her voice dropping to a sober tone, "and good luck. I hope our missing people find their way back home to us...especially Dr. Zoë. I really like her."

Eren blinked at his mother, and from the corner of his eye, he noticed Levi staring at her. Madeline had figured it out. How she'd managed to do so, he could only guess...but his mother was a sharp person beneath all that granola.

"All right," Levi said before the situation could bear much further pondering, "let's get suited up. You four know enough about the gear to operate it, right?" He looked at Sasha, Connie, Armin and Reiner."

"We remember, sir," blurted Sasha. She cast an uncomfortable look around upon realizing that not everyone present knew they'd shared a past life together. "I mean, Eren's shown us the basics."

Reiner examined his set of ODM gear with a frown as Nanaba handed it all out. "It's weirdly familiar. Jaeger only showed me how to balance in it, but I feel like I was born to wear it."

Eren watched with a tight little smirk as the brawny, white-blond man started putting his gear on. Of all of them present, Reiner was the only one that hadn't partaken in Hange's elixir yet. The man knew on some instinctive level that he'd once gone against Eren and his companions, and it was more than likely he refused to imbibe because he didn't want to recall his betrayal. He was making up for that now, though. Eren couldn't find it in his heart to fault him. He sure as hell didn't have to participate in this mission, but he was doing it anyhow."

"Wait, honey...your left harness strap is too loose," advised Madeline unexpectedly, and she approached Reiner to tighten said strap.

"How do you know, Mom?" Eren puzzled in surprise, watching his mother help Reiner with the gear.

She shrugged. "You're my son. Did you think I wasn't paying attention each time you put this stuff on to teach your friends?"

Eren shot a look at Levi, and he was a little shocked to see the tiny smirk on the captain's lips. The man looked approving. He really did seem to like 'Mama Jaeger'. Eren smiled at him unwittingly as those sleepy gray eyes flicked to meet his, and he nearly laughed when a telling, faint little blush arose on Levi's high cheekbones.

 _~So fucking adorable. One day, I really do want to marry you, Captain.~_

* * *

While the rescue team was preparing for takeoff, another team not terribly far away was struggling through rubble.

"Ouch, Mike! Get your big foot out of my ass!"

"You said to give a boost," reminded the grunting, muffled voice from below.

Hange scrabbled for purchase, groaning softly as her dirt-caked, ragged fingernails combed the soot-covered ground. "At least...buy a girl some...flowers first. I didn't mean...you should just shove your boot...right up my tailbone!"

"Hey, knock it off," came Jean's grumbling voice. "We're running out of air in here!"

"Good point," Hange concurred. She finally managed to wriggle out of the hole they'd cleared, and she fell upon the ground, panting. Her wet brown hair was muddy from the combination of liquid submersion and dirt, and when she lifted her head again, the side of her face was caked with mud. She shimmied away a bit, and then she squirmed back to reach her hands down into the hole. "All right, someone grab on. Mike, boost everyone up first, since you're the tallest. Don't boot them up the ass, though."

There was a snort and a sneeze from the person of interest, and then a pair of slender hands reached up through the opening for Hange to grab hold of. With a grunt of exertion, the doctor helped Petra out of the hole first, and then the two of them worked together to extract the others. Mike required the combined efforts of Hange, Eld and Mikasa to pull out. The scientist they'd captured lay a few feet away, oblivious to what they were doing and possibly dead.

"Shit...I need to resuscitate him," Hange announced once they were all out.

"We don't have time for that," Eld pointed out, glancing warily around. So far all of the rescue workers were far enough away from their location to miss them, but they would be circling back around soon enough. If even one of them were affiliated with the enemy, they'd all be in deep shit.

"He has information," Hange insisted between huffs as she started giving the man mouth-to-mouth. "I'm not doing this for humanitarian purposes. One of you pump while I breathe."

Jean crawled over to help, groaning a bit in pain as he started pressing down on the un-moving chest between Hange's breaths. "I thought we were goners."

"Yes, well," gasped Hange, "apparently we've got better lung capacity than this guy. Let's hope my safety plan didn't kill him."

"That was brilliant," coughed Eld. He drew Petra's shivering form close in an attempt to warm her. "We'd have been toast, if you hadn't come up with that."

"We're lucky we didn't drown," grunted Jean. "Come on, you bastard...breathe!"

"The fluid doesn't sedate," Hange pointed out, counting silently between huffs. She breathed into the victim's mouth again before finishing her statement. "All it does is hamper the titan subject's motions. What actually sedates them is the lack of solar energy. They use UV stimulation to get them active when they need to do testing, remember?"

"I haven't had time to think about that," coughed Petra. "God, that was terrible."

"Hey, we made it," Eld pointed out. "Now we just have to get clear before any of those workers find us."

Mikasa had already drawn the knives stashed in her boots, seeing as guns were useless due to being soaked, and they'd had to abandon ODM gear to get out. "I'll give warning if any of them approach. Please hurry, Miss Hange."

"I'm not taking a walk in the park," groused Hange...though she did appreciate the girl's steadfast alertness. Mikasa was probably in better shape than any of them right now, and they might need to rely on her combat skills. "Just a minute...there! Jean, try not to crack his ribcage! He just breathed!"

"Keep it down," warned Mike in a hushed, ragged voice.

"Yes, someone is coming," agreed Mikasa, crouching down in the manner of a panther ready to strike. "We need to be ready to move or fight. They're coming this way."

The scientist coughed up some fluid, and Hange quickly turned him onto his side while Petra and Eld joined Mikasa, drawing their own backup blades. "There you are," croaked Hange with a pleased smirk. "Welcome back to the land of the living, asshole."

If the man could hear or understand her, he didn't give any indication of it. He kept coughing, and Hange looked up with a squint. She grabbed a chunk of rubble and suddenly hurled it at blurred figure standing over them.

"Hange, what the fuck?" Mike whispered harshly as the chunk thwacked against something solid and bounced off to the right.

"I was _trying_ to knock him out," she excused.

"Knock _who_ out?" Jean rasped. "You just took out a piece of wall!"

Said piece of wall broke away from its tentative base, falling to the side to crash amongst the rubble.

"Oh." Hange peered at Jean with near-sighted ignorance, spreading her hands. "I thought it was a person."

"Damn, you're more blind than I thought," Mike observed softly.

"We'll talk about sharp senses later," Mikasa whispered. Everyone, hide if you can. They're coming closer."

"Shit." Hange clamped a hand over their captive's mouth as the man groaned, and she dragged him away a few feet to crouch over him. "Play dead, kiddies."

Everyone hit the figurative floor, save Mikasa, Eld and Petra. The three of them readied themselves as a group of rescue operatives approached, and they squinted against the harsh morning light. Wordlessly, Mikasa pounced on their ranks with two knives drawn, and Mike's choked warning not to kill seemed to be the only thing holding her back. She slammed the hilt of her blades squarely into the base of the skull of the man she'd tackled, knocking him out. Eld's grimy, booted foot slammed into the solar plexus of the man next to him before the rescue worker could call out, and Petra disabled another with a sharp knee to the groin.

That left two. One of them started to radio his associates to warn them that they were under attack, but Mike's powerful form slammed into him from out of nowhere, tackling him to the ground and knocking his transmitter far out of reach. The other man, wide-eyed behind his HAZMAT mask, was starting to reach for his own transmitter radio.

 _*CLUNK*_

He went down like a two-dollar whore. A chunk of concrete struck him in the side of the helmet from somewhere off to the left, and he fell bonelessly to the rubble.

"Nice," complimented Mike in a whisper, nudging Hange.

"At least this time I hit a person," remarked Hange in a low voice. "Go, me."

"Ever think about trying out as a pitcher in baseball?" Jean asked, relief obvious in his voice.

"I'll settle for bludgeoning human heads for now," Hange replied, "but thanks, kiddo. Hey, does anyone see my glasses? I'd be a lot more useful if I could see."

* * *

"Take us down, Nanaba," Levi ordered once they were hovering over the site of the mess.

"You sure about that, Levi?" Nanaba looked down at the throng with a frown. "There's going to be questions."

"We've got the clearance," answered Levi calmly. "If anyone asks, we're there to assess the damage and report in. Take us down."

"Alrighty, then." Nanaba lowered the chopper, not arguing further. Her gaze traveled over the ruins and she frowned. "Shit...Mike, I hope you made it out of that. What am I doing to myself, here?"

"Save the lamentation for when we confirm their deaths," advised Levi. "Concentrate on the mission and keep yourself ready to bolt if I give the call, got it?"

"Got it, sir," Nanaba responded with respect. Technically, Levi didn't have any authority over her...yet like most from their previous lives, she fell into habit out of instinctive trust. "Bring them to me and I'll get us all home safely. Count on that."

"I will," Levi said sincerely. He looked to his companions, and he checked his gear once more. "We aren't going to be facing titans, but we could be facing human opposition. If any of you aren't ready to use steel against another person, I won't hold it against you."

Sasha straightened up, and she gave Levi a sharp salute. "We're ready to do as you command, SIR!"

Connie swiftly joined her, as did Eren, Armin, Reiner and Moblit. Levi nodded in satisfaction. "Good, then. Our priority here is to rescue our companions, but should the enemy start hammering us, you get Jaeger back onto this chopper and out of here, regardless of what else is happening. Is any of that unclear?"

"No sir!" they cried in unison.

"Then let's do some damage."

* * *

"Oh look, it's an angel!" Hange shouted the observation the minute she saw Eren Jaeger sifting through the wreckage. Even blurred as he was, she could recognize his shape and hair. "EREN! OVER HERE!" She started waving her arms.

"Would you shut up?" Mike growled, reaching for Hange's flailing arms to subdue them. It didn't help that he was carrying an unconscious person on his back. "You're going to lead them right to—"

"All of you, halt!"

Mike groaned in his throat at the sudden order, and he looked over his shoulder to find a small squad of armored policemen pointing guns at them. "Look," he tried, getting ready to explain.

He never got the chance. There was a blur of green, brown and white coming from the left like a whirlwind, and each of the policeman went down with grunts and cries. Within moments, Levi Ackerman was standing on top of the middle of the six, staring down at Hange's group with unreadable silver eyes.

"S-sir!" Petra straightened up, and she saluted Levi impulsively with one fist planted on her back and the other over her heart. Eld did the same, and Mikasa silently followed. Jean was too stunned to react, and Mike was currently carrying their captive scientist draped over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

Levi's mouth twitched the slightest bit. He lifted up a pair of broken goggles, and he tossed them lightly to Hange. "Here, shitty-glasses."

She fumbled with the eyewear for a moment, dropping them in the mess. She bent over to retrieve them, and she fit them over her eyes. Blinking up at Levi, she smiled broadly. The right lens was fractured badly, and she was seeing several Levi's. "Oh look, it's a kaleidoscope of tiny captains!"

Levi's brows furrowed briefly. "Are you all fit to make it? Who's that?" He nodded at the man draped over Mike's shoulders like a human stole.

"Another POW," explained Mike softly. "It's a long story."

"Then save it. We're out of here." Levi looked up, narrowing his eyes at the shouting form of his lover. "Eren, we've got them. We're moving out."

Eren looked like he was about to respond, but then three of the rescue workers tried to stop him from joining them. Connie tackled one from the right with a yell, while Sasha cold-cocked another over the head. As for Eren, he was so full of rage that he outright _threw_ the third over her shoulder and into the jagged rubble.

"Eren," Levi called, firing off his gear. He could see his lover closing in on the man that Eren had thrown, bearing a twist of rage on his mouth. The singer's eyes blazed vengefully, and he picked his opponent up one-handed with a snarl. A short distance behind Eren, Armin had come up and he was pleading with his friend to calm down.

 _~Eren...~_

If he still had his shifter abilities, Levi would have expected him to go into titan form, right about now. As it was, he saw his lover bite down on his own hand out of instinct, his green-gold gaze bright and angry. Levi closed in on him, using his anchors on the remaining structures to hasten his advance. He caught Eren's face in his hands and he spoke to him as a master might speak to his hound.

"Enough. Stop, Eren. Calm down."

The pupils dilated and retracted for a moment, and then Eren's body shuddered. "They're okay?"

Levi nodded. "Yes. We've got them. Settle down, brat."

Another tremor ripped through that strong, mortal form. "Nobody's dead?"

"Nobody's dead," confirmed Levi. He was about to try and reassure his lover further, but Hange of course ruined the moment.

"Eren! Oh, my sweet puppy! You came for us!"

Levi was rudely shoved aside as Hange glomped Eren Jaeger.

"Hey, fuck-face...watch what you're doing."

Eren was hugging Hange tightly, and he reached out and grabbed Mikasa to pull her into the embrace when she approached. "You're safe," he choked, over and over again. "You're all okay."

"Eren, sweetie," huffed Hange, "you're going to break my neck."

"I'm sorry," sniffed Eren. He loosened his hold on her and Mikasa, and he cleared his throat as Jean approached. Eyeing the bandaging half-covering his guitarist's face, he chuckled a little. "You look like shit."

"Try living through one of Hange's escape plans and see how good _you_ look," Jean pointed out, smirking.

Eren's brows furrowed a little, and he glanced at Mikasa. She smiled and nodded to him, and he returned his attention to Jean. "Glad you're okay, horse-face."

Jean huffed a little when Eren suddenly hugged him. "Uh, yeah. Thanks for coming for us, you suicidal bastard."

* * *

They had to knock out two other rescue teams before boarding Nanaba's helicopter. Mike was carrying the unconscious scientist, seeing as he was the biggest of them all and the least injured.

"I hope to hell you know what you're doing," grunted the towering blond as he climbed aboard behind Levi and the others.

"What were we supposed to do?" Nanaba called over her shoulder. "Leave you to get picked up by enemy ranks?"

"This debate can wait until later," Levi groused. "Get us off the ground and out of here."

Nanaba didn't argue with that, and within moments they were airborne. Eren leaned heavily against Levi with a sigh, his concerned gaze resting on Mikasa. They'd laid her, Jean and the others down to rest and strapped them into medical cots. "She's going to be okay, right?"

Levi looked down at the half-conscious woman with a little frown. "They're all dehydrated and battered. They made it, though. It's going to be fine, Eren. Now we just have to concentrate on getting them back to the base and having their medical needs taken care of."

"Hey, we aren't as bad as we look," rasped Hange. Her grin cracked the dried mud on her face, and the sour smell of chemicals wafted from her as she waved an arm. "Cheer up, Eren."

Eren put a sleeve over his nose, fighting a grimace. "No offense, but you smell like rotten eggs."

"Do I?" Hange took a sniff of her own arm. "I can't tell. We got immersed in tank fluid so I guess my sinuses are fried. Mike, how's your sniffer?"

The blond man stirred in his medical cot, sniffing deeply. "Still some chemical burn, but it's coming back. Might take a day or two."

Levi buckled himself in, urging Eren to do the same. "I'd love to hear how the fuck you guys got out of this one."

Hange looked up at Moblit, who was still fussing over her after nearly hugging her into two pieces. She smirked. "Well, we got trapped when Satellite Core shut down all of the security settings. Mike and Eld already set the bombs off, so we had a choice between putting our luck on the titan containment tanks or just getting blow to pieces. Obviously we chose the former of the two."

"Obviously." Levi smirked a little. "So that's why your clothes are so damp and you smell like the bottom of a chemistry lab."

"It sucked," Jean muttered. "We nearly drowned. The explosion knocked the top of the tank loose enough for Mike and Hange to get it open, and half the liquid spilled out from a crack in the bottom of it. I've never held my breath for so long, man."

Eren smiled at Hange. "But you all made it, thanks to Hange's idea."

"Yes," coughed Mikasa, half-asleep. "We all made it."

"Don't try to talk right now," advised Armin gently. He offered Mikasa a sip of his water flask, which she took gratefully. "You all need to be checked out once we make it back. Who knows what exposure to those chemicals might have done to you?"

"Isn't he a ball of sunshine?" grumbled Jean.

* * *

They made it back to the base, and a medical team was waiting for them when they arrived. Levi excused himself from the group to report in and give his excuses. Eren and the others stayed at their friends' sides while the agent took care of paperwork, watching over them as best they could. Madeline showed up at the infirmary and she took Mikasa's hand in a motherly gesture as the nurses worked over her.

"Eren was so determined to find you and bring you all home," she explained gently. "I'm glad that he stuck with it and did what he set out to do. I'm glad those awful scientists didn't get their hands on you the way he feared they might."

"I'm glad too, Mrs. Jaeger," sighed Mikasa in agreement. "We're going to be fine. I think Jean took the worst of it."

Madeline glanced over at Jean's recovery bed, taking note of the bandaging around the sleeping guitarist's head. "Poor kid. I hope it isn't serious."

"He'll be fine, Ma," Eren assured her. He had come back into the room with two steaming beverages in his hands. One he handed to his mother, and the other he offered to Mikasa. "Yours is hot cider," explained to Mikasa. "They wouldn't let me give you coffee while you're on fluids to rehydrate."

She took the drink with a nod of thanks. "Cider sounds fine." As she raised the head of her bed to help her sit up and sip the beverage, she regarded Eren thoughtfully. "How did you convince the captain to let you come along?"

Eren smirked a little, and he shrugged. "Just being too stubborn to accept 'no' for an answer, I guess. He got tired of hearing me whining."

"Hmm, that sound believable." Mikasa gave a smirk of her own, into her cup. "That was a really close call. If I'd known what I was doing, we might have avoided being submersed in that liquid. I didn't understand the settings on the control panel though, and we had no time for a detailed tutorial."

Eren looked over at the BRS scientist, strapped to different bed in the recovery ward. The man was still unconscious. Hell, he might even be brain damaged. He'd been officially dead for a few moments after the team got out of the rubble, according to Hange. He wasn't going to be a lot of good to them if he ended up as a vegetable, but they still had other prisoners from the previous sting operation. Levi said they had provided at least some information so far, and Moblit was being very cooperative. The man in question was currently hovering over Hange's bed, applying a cool compress to her forehead.

"Eren," said Levi's voice from behind him. The singer turned to see his lover walking into the recovery room, still geared out and dressed in his old school scout uniform. Eren impulsively stood up and saluted him. It was damned near impossible to resist the impulse, when he was dressed like that.

"Sir. Everyone seems to be recovering well."

Levi nodded, coming to a stop before him. "At ease."

Eren relaxed into Parade Rest, watching Levi with helplessly admiring eyes. The man's presence was as riveting as ever, especially in that getup he was wearing. Eren's heart pounded and he felt butterflies in his stomach. He wondered if that old thrill would ever go away.

"Come with me," ordered Levi. He gave a nod at Madeline. "Please excuse us, Mrs. Jaeger."

"Please, go right ahead."

She smiled at Levi in a knowing way, and the agent's pale face gained a telling hint of a flush under her scrutiny. Eren wondered why Levi was blushing, and he followed the man out of the recovery room and down the hallway to the elevator. "Is everything all right?" He asked.

Levi nodded. "Everything is fine."

They stepped into the elevator and Levi pressed the button for the floor where living quarters were located. When the doors to the lift slid shut, the captain suddenly backed Eren up against the wall, curled his fingers into his hair and pulled him down for a deep kiss. Surprised at first by the action, Eren stood still for a moment before responding to the kiss and putting his arms around his lover.

"Mm, what was that for?" he asked breathlessly when their mouths finally parted.

"Because I've been wanting to do that ever since we got back," murmured Levi frankly. His hot, sleepy gaze looked Eren up and down. "I want to make love to you, brat."

"M-make love?" Eren blinked. That was a term he wasn't used to hearing from Levi. Usually the man referred to it as fucking. Come to think of it, they hadn't switched roles in a while. He wasn't quite sure what to expect, but he could tell by the smolder in Levi's gaze that he was definitely about to get laid.

"Yes. 'Make love'," reiterated the captain. He straightened Eren's shirt collar impulsively, and then he ran his palms over the singer's chest. "I intend to rock your world and have you screaming my name, Jaeger."

"Oh." Levi didn't really have to _try_ to accomplish such a feat. Every time they'd been intimate, Eren vocalized like a bitch no matter who was fucking who. He blushed deeply, and he grinned at the smaller man. "So I guess the debriefing on how the reporting went will have to wait?"

"Later," agreed Levi, breath quickening with obvious desire. "I think our efforts today deserve a bit of reward, wouldn't you agree?"

Eren's hands slid lower down Levi's back, cupping his tight little bottom and toying with the straps of the gear harness still cradling it. He could swear the gear was practically meant to emphasize the curve of the man's ass. "Yeah, I can agree with that, Captain."

* * *

-To be continued


	32. Chapter 32

_Author's Note: Part of this chapter has been censored to comply with FFnet's rating policy. To read the uncensored version with the smutty bits, go to Archive of Our Own._

* * *

Masculine lips caressed him softly, meandering over his skin with gentle kisses. It was nice. The corners of Levi's mouth curved up slightly with appreciation, unbidden by him. He sighed and turned his head on the pillow, rolling onto his back. Warm breath whispered over his skin between those little butterfly kisses, tickling the fine hairs pleasantly. He detected the slight abrasiveness of facial hair growth, and it added to the tickle. He murmured in his sleep as those lips ghosted down from his neck to his chest. They sucked ever so lightly as they pressed down, provoking subtle tingles through him. Calloused hands stroked his body with slow deliberation, warm and big on him.

 _~Erwin?~_

In his slumbering state of mind, the captain was confused. His thoughts were sluggish, and he couldn't seem to pull himself out of sleep. Perhaps he wasn't really asleep, then? Had he dreamt the whole thing, about living in a future time free of titans, Eren Jaeger being a rock star and Levi becoming his bodyguard? It certainly seemed like a far-fetched notion. The titans were still here, and he was the leader of the Scouts, operating under Erwin Smith's command. His memories blurred together as the man kissing and touching him proceeded to map out his body with lips and hands.

 _~That's right. The arrangement. Shit, me and my fantasies. Better not let Smith know I've been having wet dreams about the shitty brat every night. It can't happen.~_

Still disoriented and caught up in old memories of a time when the flame between him and Erwin still burned hot, Levi murmured sensually in his sleep, encouragingly. A tongue circled his belly-button, and he squirmed.

 _~Mmm, love it when he does that. I could almost forgive him for spending so much un-necessary time on his paperwork.~_

Confident fingers skimmed along the inside of Levi's thighs, silently bidding him to part them. He did so without resistance, his body heating up. He started to drift off again into obliviousness, but then a slick, warm hand curled around his half-swollen length and began to stroke it. The warmth and hardness of his companion's body hovered over him, smooth skin pressing against his own as those seductive lips returned to his face and neck, kissing and cajoling. The hand moved up and down slowly, coaxing him to full hardness and making his breath quicken. The kissing grew more frequent, but no less gentle. Those questing lips almost seemed to be seeking his approval, asking through their actions if this was okay.

It started to dawn on him, albeit gradually. Erwin Smith would never kiss or touch him, this way. While the man could be gentle and attentive, he exuded an aura of command. Levi couldn't explain just why, but something in the way these hands now touching him was entirely unlike Erwin's way of doing it. They weren't stroking and caressing him so lovingly and attentively just for the purpose of getting him stirred up. There was an earnest _need_ he could sense behind it...a need for contact with him, and a need for his approval. The commander never sought out his approval. Everything that Erwin did was laced with his own self-assured objectives, from a soft caress to a demanding kiss.

No, this wasn't Erwin Smith worshipping Levi's body this way. That left only one possibility.

"Eren," whispered the captain, his churning thoughts finding enough focus to clarify reality a bit more for him. That was right; he _did_ start bedding the shifter. They slept together regularly now, and Levi and Erwin were finished. What day was it? How far away was the grand expedition to reclaim Wall Maria?

 _~But wait...we already went on it. I never got to see it through, because—~_

One of Jaeger's palms slid over Levi's thigh, right where his leg had been bitten off. Old, phantom pain throbbed there at the touch and the memory of it, and Levi's brows furrowed. He'd died, hadn't he? Then why was he lying here in a soft bed, being kissed and caressed all over by Eren Jaeger? Was this the afterlife?

"Sorry kid," he mumbled, still more than half-asleep. "Wanted to...see it through to the end. Didn't mean to leave you like that."

The kissing paused, and the hand on Levi's thigh kneaded it gently as if attempting to sooth that remembered pain away. "It's okay, sir. You got me there. That's over now, and I'm here with you. You don't need to wake up, Levi. I just...want to love on you for a while. Is that okay?"

Levi tried to shrug, but he was so relaxed that he didn't even think his shoulders responded to the mental command. "Sure."

Positive that he was just dreaming or dead, the captain lay passively and he fulfilled his lover's wish, allowing Eren to kiss, lick, suck and fondle every inch of him at his leisure. His breath quickened as those persistent attentions aroused him further, his groin throbbing pleasantly with each loving stroke of Eren's hand on it. If this was the afterlife, he decided, it wasn't so bad. He could think of worse ways to spend it than fucking Eren Jaeger on a cloud. Yes, that must be it. They were on a cloud, not in a bed.

"Is this Heaven?" mumbled Levi groggily.

He felt his companion's lips smile against his chest, in the center of it where they'd been kissing him. Eren's morning stubble rubbed against his skin as the shifter shook his head. "No sir, but I'd like to keep it feeling like that, for you."

Levi shivered and moaned softly as Eren followed up that statement by circling his right nipple with his tongue, and then kissing it. He stroked the boy's soft, thick hair, running his fingers through it with approval as Eren started to tease the sensitive bud with his mouth. He didn't bother asking any further questions. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy the moment and forget about all the hardships that led them here. He just wanted to revel in the feel of those amorous attentions, and it didn't seem important to figure out where they were or why.

* * *

"Shit," whimpered Levi, almost panicked. It usually took him a bit longer than this to get a second wind. The bastard was going to make him come again. "Eren…hold me down."

Eren's fingers quickly entwined with Levi's, and he stared down at him again with a tense expression on his comely features. "Whatever you want, sexy. You…should see yourself right now. So beautiful…"

The amorous words were interrupted suddenly by a sharp series of knocks on their door. Eren broke off, his thrusting pausing and his eyes going wide. "Uh…who is it?"

"Boys, I need to talk to you _right now_ ," Hange's voice called from the other side of the door. "Can I come in?"

"No," Eren and Levi said in unison. The singer followed up with a hasty explanation. "We're not uh…decent."

"Shit, when are we _ever_ decent together," muttered Levi. He was supremely annoyed. Poor Eren hadn't even gotten off yet. "What the hell do you want, four eyes?"

"We have a situation," explained Hange. "Levi, I wouldn't bother you if I weren't important. Get your cute butts covered up fast. I don't have time to give a lengthy explanation and a decision's going to have to be made fast!"

Levi heaved a sigh, and he looked up at his lover with regret. "I'm sorry, kid," he whispered in all sincerity. Eren was so close, and he'd given Levi the best wakeup call the captain had in ages. "I'll make it up to you later, okay?"

Eren smiled at him, albeit a bit painfully. He lowered his mouth to Levi's for a soft, brief kiss. "I know you will. At least I got you off, gorgeous."

Levi sighed again. "Damn it."

Eren chuckled, gently easing out of him. "I'll live, sir. Just being able to wake you up that way was a hell of a reward."

Levi watched as Eren got out of the bed to retrieve his robe. The sight of his tanned nudity certainly did nothing to deter the agent's lingering passion. He decided that he was going to fuck Eren every which way possible later on, whether he was giving or receiving of dick. "You're a damned saint with your patience, Jaeger. You know that, right?"

Eren glanced over his shoulder at him, the light blue material of his robe falling into place. He gave Levi an emerald wink and a smirk. "My boyfriend's worth it. I'll get your robe for you."

Levi sat up with a grunt, glancing down at his abs and the drying evidence of his earlier fulfillment. "Grab a handkerchief too, while you're at it. I made a fucking mess."

Eren's gaze followed Levi's and his smirk grew more pronounced. "Yeah, you did. I love it."

Levi's groin stirred again, and he compressed his lips. "Cut that out, brat. You're working me up again."

Eren snickered softly, and he retrieved Levi's black robe from the hook on the wall. He tossed it lightly to the other man, grinning mischievously. His own robe was poking out over the crotch area, giving clear evidence of his unsatisfied lust. "Maybe I should dive under the covers myself." He located one of Levi's handkerchief from their trunk, and he tossed that to him next.

"Come on, boys," Hange prompted on the other side of the door. "Hop too! This is urgent!"

Eren grimaced, and he reached down in an attempt to adjust himself a bit. "Sorry Miss Hange." He waited for Levi to cover up before opening the door to admit the doctor. "What's going on?"

She plowed into the room without ceremony, nearly running Eren over. Her cinnamon gaze went straight to Levi, and for once there were no puns or jokes forthcoming from her lips. "You need to think about getting Eren out of here right away, tiny captain."

Levi forgot all about the interrupted sex, snapping immediately into guardian mode. "Why? What's wrong?"

"We've picked up on something huge moving into range on the radar," explained the doctor. She glanced at Eren. "Moblit says it's one of Satellite Core's stations. They managed to bunny-hop our connection during the last raid and track us down, apparently. He says he thought it was fishy that he was able to use an old code to get into the data banks, and I suppose this is why. They set us up, slacking off on security like that."

Levi fought back a groan, and he combed his fingers through his mussed black hair. "You're sure about this?"

Hange nodded. "It's going to be in range within fifteen minutes…maybe less. If it's what we suspect, then surfacing this base for any reason is going to be out of the question. They can't do much against us while we're submerged, but we'll be essentially trapped. All they need to do is wait for us to come up for air, and they'll have us."

Levi met Eren's gaze, and his jaw tensed. "Well, shit. How the hell am I supposed to get him out of here, then?"

"Ah, I've already worked that out." Hange shrugged. "Well, Pixis and I, that is. He actually came up with the plan over shots."

Levi glanced at the digital numbers of the alarm clock that was sitting on the bedside table. It wasn't even noon. "You two were doing shots at this hour? Oh, never fucking mind…it's you and Pixis."

Hange chuckled. "Good attitude. Anyhow, the trick is not to _surface_. We've got a perfectly good method of naval transportation available to us. Satellite Core might be able to track it, but they can't do jack-squat about it while it's under the waves. Not without risking losing the prize they're after, anyhow." Her gaze went purposely to Eren.

"A submarine," said Eren, understanding what Hange was getting at.

"That's right." She nodded. "So pack up your things, dear. Your mother's already on board with your band and the others. Our top priority is to get you all away from here."

"Sounds good in theory," mused Levi, "but if they can track us, they could just follow us to wherever we go."

"Moblit and Armin are going to work on that. Shadis is planning a distraction in the meantime, and Erwin's going to head it."

Levi's heart skipped a beat, and he narrowed his eyes. "What _kind_ of distraction? Those bastards aren't planning anything suicidal, are they?"

"Not purposely." Hange shrugged. "We've got one big bitch of an aquatic powerhouse at our disposal, though. According to Shadis, that submarine has enough firepower to take out a whole city. With any luck, the enemy is going to be too busy trying to deflect the Kraken's attacks to take much notice of a smaller sub breaking away from the base. That should buy us some time."

"Shit." Levi wasn't overly fond of the plan. Erwin was amazing in the air, but underwater? There was no easy way for the base to surface and allow air combat to take place, though. "They're both out of their minds."

"They're going to be fine," Hange soothed. "All they're going to do is fire some airborne missiles and give those fellows something else to worry about while we make our exit."

"So you're coming too?" Eren's relief was obvious.

"That's right, honey. I'm coming too." Hange spread her hands and shrugged. "Who else is going to keep these creeps off your tail? You need me."

There was no further time to discuss the matter, and Levi immediately began to start gathering his things. "Move it, Jaeger. We need to be out that door as fast as possible. Pack only what you need and forget about the rest. It's all replaceable."

* * *

"Shit, talk about short notice. Did we get everything, Mika?" Jean looked at his girlfriend, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Mikasa nodded somberly in response to his question.

"Everything important." She relaxed a bit when Eren ducked into the submarine, looking around for somewhere to take a seat. "Eren, over here. We saved you and the captain a spot."

"Eren, sweetheart!" Madeline waved to her son, seated between Sasha and Armin. She unbuckled herself and she stood up to go to Eren and Levi. "This is crazy! They said those people from Satellite Core figured out where we were and then the next thing I knew, I was being ushered into this tank!"

"It's going to be okay, Ma," promised Eren. He rubbed her arms, and he glanced sidelong at his lover. "She's a little claustrophobic."

"Oh yeah?" Levi regarded Mrs. Jaeger with newfound respect. "But she's been holding up remarkably well down here. Kudos to you, Ma'am."

"Well, it's my boy," excused Madeline. She shivered and she squeezed Eren's hands. Her pallor was really the only thing to give away her anxiety. "God, I hope we get to see the sky again soon. Whatever it takes to keep my son safe, though."

"We're going to make sure of that," Levi assured her, "and when we get to our destination, you won't have to be under the sea anymore. I can't promise that won't change, but you'll at least get a little break from it."

Madeline watched as her son buckled himself into the seat next to Mikasa. "That would be nice. So Levi, come and sit with me! I'd like to speak with you for a bit. It'll take my mind off things and stop me from freaking the fuck out once we start moving."

Levi's tongue froze in his mouth, and he shot a subtly panicked look at Eren. The singer coughed behind his hand, looking for all the world like he was trying not to crack up. Levi glared at him. This really wasn't funny. Not that he didn't like Mrs. Jaeger, but chatting with her while aboard a submarine attempting to flee from the enemy wasn't really his idea of quality time.

"Go ahead," Eren encouraged. His voice wasn't quite steady. "Sit with Ma. I'll be okay on my own, Levi."

Resisting a grumble, Levi gave in and he followed Madeline to her seat. He sat down on the isle seat beside hers, buckling up with a wary, sidelong look at her. Sasha was thankfully too preoccupied in a conversation with Connie to take much notice to them.

"Anything I can do to help?" Levi said reluctantly, at a loss for anything else to comment on.

"You can tell me you won't say 'no' when my son pops the question," Madeline said bluntly, meeting his eyes. She smiled at him when Levi just stared blankly. "Oh, come on. You know it's inevitable, don't you? Eren is out of his mind in love with you. You're his binky."

Levi blinked slowly. "His…'binky'?"

Just what in the hell was a "binky" anyways?

Madeline nodded sincerely. "Yes. You're what makes him feel safe, sweetheart. I've never seen him so crazy for anyone, and I really think you're good for him."

Levi's heart annoyingly skipped a beat. She wasn't kidding. She really thought Eren was going to ask him to marry him. Maybe she wasn't wrong. He leaned forward a bit to look down the isle at his lover, watching as Eren buckled himself in. He wouldn't put it past the romantic little shit to get down on one knee and put a ring on his finger. Eren's gaze met his, and the singer smiled at him in an adoring fashion. Levi swallowed and tore his eyes off of him, meeting Madeline Jaeger's stare once more.

"Marriage isn't really something I've ever thought of," he confessed, just loudly enough for her to hear over the water craft's engine as it started up.

"I don't imagine it is." Madeline shrugged. "You aren't exactly the type of man that strikes me as a believer in 'happily ever after', but my son is another story. All I'm asking you is to please be careful with his heart, Levi. Eren is a very sensitive young man. I think rejection from you would break him."

Levi dropped his gaze to the floor. He couldn't argue with that observation. He knew how much Eren loved him. The little shit had been declaring that love since the first time they'd had sex in this life, and he made it his personal mission to remind him each and every day. In fact, Levi honestly couldn't think of a single day that had gone by without Eren passionately proclaiming his love for him.

"Shit."

Madeline's face fell. "So does that mean you'd turn him down?"

He looked at her again, subtly troubled. "I didn't say that. Eren…he's…"

He faltered, unable to put into words what was on his mind and heart. He stared at her, suffering unusual feelings of helpless confusion. At the same time, it was shockingly easy to picture himself coming home each day to Eren Jaeger, kissing him hello after a long day at work, cooking the evening meal with him and settling down to domestic conversation at the table. It wasn't an unpleasant mental picture. In fact, it was so damned appealing that it made Levi feel warm all over.

"You do love Eren," persisted Madeline with confidence. "I can see it in the way you look at him, Agent Ackerman. You aren't an easy fellow to read, but that much is as clear as day to me."

Levi parted his lips, and his hooded gray eyes shot to Eren again. Currently the singer was engaged in a low conversation with Mikasa, watching curiously as Armin started typing something up on the laptop he'd been provided with. Next to Armin was Moblit, and Hange sat on Moblit's other side. All three of them were busily fooling with computers…probably working on cracking the enemy's database again to muck up their systems and improve their chances of escape. The flicker of the screen highlighted Eren's cheekbones and reflected off his expressive, vivid eyes.

Before he knew it, Levi started to smirk just the tiniest bit. "Yeah, I love him," he admitted, hardly aware that he was saying it aloud to the guy's mother. "Can't help but."

Madeline pulled him out of his little daze with a noise that sounded suspiciously like a squeal of delight. "I thought so. Oh, look at you. I remember what it was like to have a man watch me with such a loving expression."

Levi deliberately forced his face into his usual deadpan mask, but his cheeks warmed at the perceptive woman's observation. He hadn't realized he'd let himself go so much. He shrugged, trying to downplay his smitten behavior. "Hey, even if your son does want to tie the knot with me, now isn't the right time to be planning it. I'm afraid if he asks me under these circumstances, my answer's gonna have to be 'no'. It's nothing against Eren, though. You get that, right?" He met her gaze levelly, apprehensive in spite of himself. She was not a woman that he wanted to offend. He liked her, after all.

Madeline's expression softened into a wistfully sad countenance. She sighed, and she reached out to stroke Levi's hair in a matronly way. "I do. This is the worst possible time for someone to try making wedding plans. I just know my son, and I know he can really get carried away when he feels something so strongly. He might keep his head…who knows? If he doesn't, though, I want you to promise me that you'll let him down easy and don't make it a hard 'no', okay? Make it a 'maybe later', if you can. I don't think you're entirely unwilling to tie that not someday, Levi. Tell me I'm wrong."

His lips thinned as he took in her challenge, and he sighed. "You're…not wrong, damn it. I'm not saying we'd have a white picket fence and a dog and half a dozen adopted brats, but I'm not totally opposed to the idea of being Eren's spouse, one day. He's…hey, why are you crying?"

Levi ogled the woman as Madeline started to sniff and wipe at her eyes. "That was supposed to make you feel better, not make you cry."

"Happy tears," she explained, and she started fanning her eyes in an attempt to dry the moisture from them. "I'm just so happy my boo-boo found someone he could marry, someday. Mommies tend to get a little emotional over these things."

"So I see." Levi frowned, horribly uncomfortable. He was ignorant when it came to the subject of dealing with crying women; especially mothers. It made him feel anxious and helpless and frustrated and…protective. He'd listened to his own mother cry night after night when his grandfather on her side of the family died, and he'd been a boy of merely eight, back then. He'd ended up taking up his baseball bat and guarding his parents' room at night, convinced that some bogeyman was after his mom.

Levi forced himself to speak, trying not to be too gruff with her. "Well you don't have to worry. I'm not shitting away the possibility of marrying Eren someday, if that's what he really wants. Just…don't cry, okay? It kind of freaks me out and makes me want to hit myself."

Madeline chuckled shakenly, turning her gaze to him in a puzzled manner. "Why on earth would you want to hit yourself, honey?"

"Because I made you cry." Levi shrugged. "I hate seeing girls cry. Mom always said a good man never makes a woman cry, and that stuck with me. Good men protect women from tears. They aren't supposed to cause them."

Madeline bit her lip, and her eyes shone with blatant fondness as she gently pinched Levi's cheek. "Well, if that isn't just about the sweetest damned thing I've ever heard. You're in the clear, kiddo. You just made this girl happy, that's all."

Levi heaved a sigh. He'd changed since his previous life. The leader of the scouts sure as hell wouldn't have buckled over the sight of a female's tears. God knew, he'd seen so damned many of them in that existence. This was a different time, however, and he'd spoken the truth when he said that to Madeline. He'd proven weak against even Hange's tears, and his first instinct these days upon seeing a woman cry was to try and fix whatever was wrong.

"If you say so," he finally muttered. "Just…you know…stop crying. It's really fucking me up, Mrs. Jaeger."

She laughed outright, and she gave a nod. "Check. No more tears. Sorry, cute stuff. I…oh shit!"

Madeline's joyful tears suddenly came to an abrupt halt as the submarine lurched into motion, and she instantly grabbed Levi's hand in a crushing grip, losing all color in her face.

"It's okay," he grunted, stoically masking the pain caused by her death grip on him. "We're just moving. Breathe, Madeline."

"Shit," she wheezed, lips thinning with alarm. The creaking sound around them did nothing to assuage her obvious panic. "This thing's not going to break apart on us, is it?"

"We're fine," Levi tried to assure her. Obviously, she was reaching her stress limit. He contained another grimace as her grip on his hand tightened even further, and he didn't envy her late husband. No wonder they'd only had one kid. With a grip like that, she could easily sterilize a guy for life.

Levi looked over at Hange, and he called out to the doctor. "Oi, shitty glasses! Get over here, would you?"

Hange paused in her work on the laptop computer, and she took it off her lap and deposited it in Petra's. She freed herself from her safety belt and she stumbled over to Levi and Madeline's row, bracing herself on the seats as she went to keep from losing her balance. Eld grumbled a complain when Hange's hand plastered against the top of his head in passing, but she hardly paid him any attention.

"Something wrong, Levi?"

Glancing sidelong at the now deathly pale woman beside him, the agent nodded. "Yeah. Mrs. Jaeger's losing her sea legs. Do you have anything that could help?"

"I'll be fine," Madeline insisted through bloodless lips, not relaxing her vice-like hold on Levi's hand in the slightest. She started to pant.

Levi's face tightened a little, and he looked back up at Hange with slightly raised brows. No more needed to be said. Hange cast a faintly worried look at Eren's mother, and she raised a finger. "Hold on a second or three, grump. I'm sure I can dig up something to take the edge off. I'll get Eren to come over here, too."

Levi nodded. "Yeah. You do that."

* * *

"Mom? Mom, it's going to be okay." Eren tried to soothe Madeline, feeling utterly helpless as the woman started to hyperventilate. "We're safe, okay? This sub is solid, and we're going to be all right. Hey, does anyone have a paper bag or something? Maybe we should try having her breathe into it."

"Not a good idea," Hange said, having returned with her medical kit. Madeline was now squeezing both Eren and Levi's hands in either of hers. Connie had vacated his seat to make room for Eren, and he watched with wide eyes as his singer and Levi tried to calm Mrs. Jaeger down.

"Breathing into a paper bag to control hyper-ventilation is hack science," explained Hange. She was measuring out a dose of some medication into a syringe, her booted feet planted firmly on the gridded floor. Moblit had come over to join her, and he had one arm around her supportively. "It could even make things worse. Try doing that and you might just accomplish making her pass out. Mrs. Jaeger, I need you to try to breath in through your mouth and out through your nose. Try counting to five with each breath, okay? You're going to be fine."

"Easy, Mom," encouraged Eren. "Here, we'll breathe with you. Count of five, okay?"

Madeline nodded, the whites of her eyes showing starkly in their wideness. At least she wasn't completely lacking cognitive functions. Levi even joined in, watching her with that maddeningly calm expression he so typically wore as he worked to help Eren calm her down. Together, the three of them followed Hange's instructions, and the scientist tapped Eren meaningfully on the wrist and held up the syringe she'd filled. He grimaced a little and he rolled up his mother's sleeve so that Hange could deliver the injection. He wasn't thrilled that she was giving his mom a shot while on a moving submarine, but Madeline was in no condition to try and swallow a pill right now.

"Please be careful," he begged as the needle glinted in the cabin's light.

"My dear, I could do this with my eyes closed while riding on a titan's back," assured Hange. "It's going to be okay."

Eren looked away as Hange wiped a sterile pad on his mother's skin and gave Madeline the shot, biting his inner cheek. Madeline barely flinched. Hange withdrew the needle and she smiled at mother and son. "You see? All done. Madeline dear, let's get your seat reclined and put your feet up. You'll start feeling a lot better in just a few—"

Madeline suddenly slumped against Levi, her mouth falling open.

"Well, maybe sooner than a few moments," revised Hange. "Huh. She's a lightweight."

"Thank fuck," blurted Levi, tugging his hand out of Mrs. Jaeger's slackened grip. "Any longer and she might have made my primary sword-hand useless."

"Is she going to be okay?" Eren stared at his mother anxiously, alarmed by how quickly she'd reacted to the sedative.

Hange checked Madeline's pulse, and she got out her little flashlight. She pushed the other woman's eyelids up to examine her pupils, shining the light over each eye briefly. "She's fine, Eren. She's just doped up. She ought to sleep through most of the trip. Just stick close to her and let me know if you notice anything peculiar."

Eren sighed. He should have known she wasn't going to keep holding up so well indefinitely. He looked at his boyfriend as Hange and Moblit returned to their seats to resume whatever they were doing on their computers. "Thanks, Levi. I really appreciate you looking out for Mom, like that."

Levi shrugged, busy with adjusting Madeline's chair into a reclined position. "It's fine."

He then mumbled something that had Eren's heart leaping in his throat. The singer couldn't be sure, but he thought Levi said: _"She's probably gonna be my Mom someday, too,"_

Staring at the captain, Eren moistened suddenly dry lips. "What was that, sir?"

Levi glanced at him, and then he looked away. "Moms should be taken care of. It's no trouble."

"Oh." He was sure that wasn't what the man had initially said, though. Eren started to grin in spite of himself. Was Levi…was he thinking of becoming a family with him?

The raven-haired man's gaze flicked to Eren again after he finished leaning Madeline's chair back. "What? You look like you're having a good shit or something."

Eren blinked. Some things just weren't going to change, and Levi's point-blank potty mind was one of them. He shook his head, and his smile broadened. "You think people _always_ look like they're taking a shit."

"Can you think of any other situation that causes such a stupidly satisfied expression, Jaeger?"

Eren leered at him before he could stop himself, vividly recalling how he'd woken Levi up earlier, before Hange came and ushered them off to the submarine. "Maybe one or two."

Levi's expression didn't change, but his sculpted cheekbones darkened. He glanced sidelong at Madeline's unconscious form, and he leaned across the distance separating him from Eren to mutter a warning. "Not in front of your mother, pervert."

Eren's guilt over that observation was tempered with amusement. "She's dead to the world, Levi. I'll behave, though." He started to say something else…some little anecdote as a comeback to Levi's accusation. After all, the guy screwed him cross-eyed just the night before. Eren's thoughts were rudely interrupted by a muffled boom, however. The craft they were riding in shook, and he impulsively grabbed Levi's hand just the way his mother had done earlier.

"What the hell was that?"

"Easy with the grip," snapped Levi, wincing. "Between you and your mother, I'll end up with a fractured fucking hand and then my ability to protect you really _will_ be compromised."

"S-sorry." Eren relaxed his grip, only to tighten it again when another muffled boom and shockwave hit.

"It came from over there," Reiner informed, having gotten out of his seat to peer out the nearest porthole. "Looks like something exploded under the water."

People started crowding around the burly blond roadie, trying to see what he was pointing out.

"Get back in your damned seats," Levi barked. "It's just blind turd-dropping. We'll be out of range soon enough, so don't be idiots and get yourselves knocked out."

"What's going on?" Sasha exclaimed, hastily buckling herself back in with wide eyes.

"My guess?" Hange kept her eyes on the computer screen, having remained seated and busy, even after the first explosive shell dropped. "They're dropping bombs just like Levi said; trying to flush us out. Let's not panic just yet. Our friends are going to draw their fire. Stay calm, folks."

"Stay calm?" Jean shouted. "They're dropping bombs on us!"

"Jean, sit down," Mikasa ordered firmly. She tugged the guitarist away from the porthole and pushed him down on his seat. As she sputtered, she squatted down and buckled him in. "Yelling about it isn't going to help."

"Hey, I'm with him," Connie blurted. He'd started clutching Reiner's muscular arm to keep his balance. "Now's a pretty good time to panic!"

"Sit down and shut the hell up," Levi instructed in a level, commanding tone. "We'll be out of this in a few minutes, so don't piss yourselves. I don't feel like dealing with the smell all the way to our destination, brats."

"Why are they dropping bombs, though?" Armin said, distracted from his work by the situation. There was barely veiled anxiety in his blue eyes as he looked to Levi for an explanation. "If they're trying to take Eren, why would they risk blowing him up?"

"They aren't trying to blow him up," Petra reasoned, her hand tightly clasped with Eld's. "They're trying to force us to confront them so that they can capture him again. They know where the base is, and so far none of those explosives have dropped close enough to do any damage to the Maelstrom."

"Yeah, she's right." Eld nodded. "Like our SAC said: it's a flushing tactic."

"All this talk about flushing and shit-bombs has me wanting to take a crap," Jean revealed. "Stop talking about it like it's some giant ass having a BM on us!"

Hange put her computer in Petra's lap again, and she bent over to pull her medical kit out from under her seat again. "All right, I think someone else could use a little juice. Reiner, hold him down."

"What?" Jean's eyes went round as the scientist tore open the packaging of a fresh syringe. "You're not drugging me!"

"It's probably for the best." Mikasa grabbed hold of Jean's wrists before he could unbuckle himself, and she compressed her lips as she nodded at Reiner. "Help me."

"Uh, Hange, maybe you shouldn't do that," Moblit said, seeing the growing panic in Jean's eyes. "Let's just try talking him down, first."

"Sweetheart, I will drug everyone aboard if that's what I've got to do to keep them from yanking open a door in a fit of panic and drowning all of us." Hange didn't cease her actions, and she glanced over at Levi. "Any objections, Captain Cranky?"

Levi shook his head. "Not a one. Do it."

"W-wait," Eren blurted, watching as Reiner and Mikasa held Jean down for Hange. Another underwater explosion went off, closer this time. He gulped down his protests. If Levi, Hange and Mikasa all thought Jean was getting out of control enough for a dose, he supposed it must be necessary. He grimaced at his guitarist…the man he'd been stuck in such a rivalry with for most of his previous life. Eren shrugged. "Sorry, man."

"Hey, cut it out!" Jean yelped as Hange delivered the shot, and his struggles visibly weakened. "Shit…what kind of girlfriend lets someone drug her boyfriend?"

Mikasa bit her lip, and she stroked his hair over the square bandage covering the spot on his forehead where he'd taken the injury in the last mission they'd gone on. "The kind that cares more about your well-being than whether she offends you. I'm sorry, Jean."

Hange placed the used syringe into the hazmat bag in her kit, and then she got out a fresh one and looked at Connie. "Okay, you're next, sweetheart."

Connie's hazel eyes widened to discs. "Wait…me? B-but I'm not causing any trouble!"

Hange grabbed the drummer's wrist, putting her thumb over it. "Your pulse is elevated, you're shaking and you've got a decidedly shrill quality to your voice. I won't dose you as much as Jean, but you're about two steps away from where he was. Trust Mama Hange, kid."

"The last time I did that, I ended up reliving Hell on Earth," grumbled Connie. He sighed, slapping his hands against his faded jeans. "Fine. Just don't give me too much, okay? I don't want to get dizzy and puke all over myself."

"Good boy." Hange eyed him speculatively, and she put away the unopened syringe. "You know, I can probably just give you a pill. Would that be better?"

Connie nodded. "Thank gawd. Anything's better than a shot."

Sasha raised her hand like a pupil in a classroom. "Um, Miss Hange? Could I maybe have one of those pills too?"

Levi snorted. "Great work, four eyes. You're turning them all into druggies."

"Shut your hole, grump." Hange got out a pill bottle, and she shook two capsules out into her palm for Connie and Sasha. "This isn't recreational. This is just preventative good sense. Here you go, kids. Eren, how are you feeling?"

"He doesn't need to be drugged," stated Levi firmly, brows dropping. "If a situation comes up that requires us to evacuate this vessel, I want him fully aware. Peddle it somewhere else, Hange."

Hange smirked at Levi, un-intimidated by his warning. Her gaze flicked to Eren. "Well, I wasn't asking for his approval, was I? Eren? You look like you're doing okay, but I know how that temper of yours can be. How are you feeling, dear?"

"I'm okay," he hastily assured, seeing his lover tense from the corner of his eye. He grabbed Levi's hand again, reaching over his oblivious mother between them. "I've got the captain. I'll be fine."

Hange clucked her tongue, and she grinned. "Aw, that's so fucking cute I could just die. There's no medication like love, is there?"

"Uh, I guess not." Eren started to blush hard. From his peripheral vision, he saw Levi roll his eyes. Another explosion dropped, and Eren quickly reached out to grab Hange's arm and steady her when she staggered. "You should buckle yourself back in, Ma'am."

"So I should." Hange tucked the syringe away in her jacket pocket, and she made her way back to her seat. "Armin, how is it?"

"Oh! I…sorry, I was distracted." Armin got back to work, his golden brows creasing over his eyes as he tried to break into enemy coding. "Honestly, I'm not sure I can get through."

"I have faith in you," Hange stated. She took her computer back with thanks as Petra handed it back over, and she shook her bangs out of her eyes to resume her work. "Come on, Erwin. Get that distraction going."

Eren bit his lip, and he looked to Levi. Mike and Erwin had both opted to remain behind on the base to help Shadis and Pixis fight off the Satellite Core threat. He saw the way Levi's brows pinched in a brief, disturbed way, and he rubbed his thumb over the smaller man's hand.

"If anyone can pull it off, it's the commander," Eren murmured, leaning over to speak comfortingly to his lover. He couldn't even bring himself to resent Smith for provoking that tiny hint of concern on Levi's face. He'd come to terms with the fact that some part of Levi would always love Erwin, and maybe a part of Eren loved him a little, too. He'd come to forgive the man for his mistakes in the past, and he'd personally witnessed a courageousness in Erwin that dragged the man up from the gutter of past shame and reminded Eren that he could be quite the hero.

"Yeah," Levi said after a moment, meeting Eren's gaze. He rubbed his own thumb over the one Eren was caressing his hand with. "You're right."

* * *

-To be continued


	33. Chapter 33

"I want all firepower focused on those weapon panels," Shadis ordered as the Leviathan began to surface. He turned to his bald companion, who was sipping from his belt flask. "We'll do our best to disable some of them before the Maelstrom surfaces. That should buy our air forces enough time to get launched and provide full cover for the evacuees."

"I sincerely hope you're right about that," Pixis said, standing calmly on the deck overlooking the viewing and radar screens. "Let us also hope that the opposition doesn't manage to interfere with our equipment again."

"Extra precautions have been taken to ensure that," Pixis stated, "at least until we've succeeded in our primary objective."

The Leviathan broke out of the water, firing launchers immediately into the air at the targets directed by the naval ceir passing, still covering the runway deck. Erwin led the way with their wing team of three, and Gunther came right behind them. As the jets got into a loose formation to make harder targets, the combat choppers came out. Armed turrets emerged from the surfaced deck on all sides to immediately begin firing on the threat in the sky.

As Erwin climbed in altitude and banked right to go after the nearest damaged one of the massive assault spokes, he noted that this exo station was of a similar shape to the last one he'd seen, though smaller. The one that Moblit had dubbed "The Star Kraken" must have been almost three times the size of this battle station they were now engaged with. According to the information he'd given them after their return from the last mission, the largest of these exosphere stations were mainly designed for habitation, technological advancement and defense. The smaller ones were designed for lower atmosphere assaults—as he was now witnessing.

 _~My question is why he waited to give us these details, so that we could be better prepared to deal with these things.~_

Hange had defended Moblit, reminding Erwin that the process of recalling memories from past lives could confuse memories of the present one. He supposed he could understand that. He himself still suffered moments of flashbacks—particularly during the first strike mission when they encountered titans. He'd frozen up a bit, in fact. So had Mike. In fact, the only one of the group that day who _hadn't_ frozen up was Levi. In addition, Moblit claimed to have been caught in a neutralizing pulse from one of the large exo stations in the past, during a cleanup when some titan subjects got loose. Under those circumstances, it seemed perfectly reasonable that Moblit would have some memory trouble.

Still, it was damned inconvenient.

"Huh," sniffed Mike over their craft's closed communication channel suddenly. "So _that's_ what this 'arching maneuver' is."

Erwin glanced to the right through his cockpit window, having a clear view at this tilted angle of the base and the huge battle submarine below. The Leviathan had risen further out of the water, looking even more like a gigantic whale breaking the surface of the ocean. It kept going, until it was pointing straight up at the sky. Erwin thought of killer whales breaking through the surface of ice to clamp their jaws on some unfortunate land mammal seeking refuge there.

Then the hull seemed to split open, and that impression became even sharper. Erwin caught a glimpse of something turning within that great, metal maw and he saw it start to glow red. At the same time, Shadis' voice barked a command over the frequency.

"All aircrafts steer clear of the target!"

"Shit," muttered Erwin, the expletive bursting from his lips right over the frequency. "Air strike teams, get clear!"

Mike choked something that might have been a lewd comment about someone's mother as Erwin pulled their jet into a barrel roll to expedite their trajectory away from the danger zone. The other pilots in their wing followed suit, though none quite as gracefully as Smith.

"Chief…"

"Don't throw up," ordered the director sternly. "You'll end up breathing it back in through your mask. Keep it steady, Mike."

"Gurk…okay…"

Erwin couldn't tell whether Mike had switched off his transmitter to conceal his heaving, or if he'd managed to swallow it back down. He led his team out from under the shadow of the exo station just as a deafening boom came from the Leviathan below them. Something big streaked up through the sky from the open pseudo mouth of the upturned submarine, and two more followed it. Erwin thought they looked like missiles, but they were the largest he'd ever seen.

"Brace yourselves," he warned over the team communication frequency.

He was right to advise them so. When those massive projectiles struck the center core of the enemy target, whatever substance made up the shell began to split and break apart. In addition, the Leviathan bobbed heavily in the water from the concussive recoil caused by the launch of its devastating weapons. The exo station tilted to the right, and then it began to drift away from the base as if attempting to retreat.

"Commander Shadis, do we launch more?" came a crackling voice over communications.

"No," answered Shadis. "Close her up and assume standard surface position. Weapons free, weapons free!"

Erwin and the other air fighters didn't waste any time. They'd badly wounded the beast, and now they had to take it down before it escaped…that was, if the thing was still even capable of ascending to the upper atmosphere without breaking apart. They couldn't take the chance, though.

"God, I just hope Levi and the others aren't heading in that direction," muttered Erwin, watching large pieces of the target break away and fall to the ocean below. He kept his focus on the mission though, trusting the crew Shadis had selected for the escape sub to keep the vessel at a safe enough depth not to be hit by any debris that might fall near them.

* * *

Strapped securely into the commander's chair within the Leviathan, Shadis looked sidelong at Pixis with a prideful smirk. The older man's mustache was wet and dripping with whatever amber liquor he kept in his flask.

"I told you not to have a drink while this maneuver was being deployed," he reminded.

"Ah, well the situation called for it," excused Pixis. He took another swallow quickly, and then he capped the flask as the vessel began to fall back into its normal position. "That was quite a demonstration of power, Keith. I wasn't quite expecting that, when you told me that you had an ace up your sleeve."

"Not bad, eh?" Shadis' lined face expressed pleasure. "Now let's hope that our comrades made it out of the red zone."

* * *

Unaware of the details of what was going on beyond the fact that Erwin and the others were creating a diversion, Levi made a hasty grab for Eren when their sub lurched and shuddered. The lights flickered and went red, and someone cried out in panic. He had no time to yell at people to calm down, because Mrs. Jaeger was falling forward in her safety straps. Concerned that the straps might constrict her breathing and chafe her, Levi put his free arm in front of her to hold her upper body back, while still reaching over her to clutch Eren's jacket supportively.

"Have we been hit or something?" Eren's eyes were wide in the scarlet emergency lights, and he put his arms around his mother protectively.

Levi looked around, letting go of mother and son now that Eren had them both braced. He shook his head. "I don't think so—"

"Oh my god, we're going down!"

"We're already 'down', you idiot," Levi snapped at the man who had hollered. "We're in a sub, not a plane! Now calm down and stop shouting. There aren't any alarms going off, and I don't see any leaks. The captain or crew would have said something if it was serious."

At least, he _hoped_ that was the case. It was possible that the crew of the submarine were trying to contain some damage and didn't want the passengers thrown into a panic. Shouting that they were "going down" was like shouting "fire" in a crowded theater…except there was nowhere to run in this case.

"It was a shockwave," Hange called over the cries of fear. "Nothing's hit us, so everyone just settle down. We're monitoring the situation and we aren't in range of—"

Something _did_ strike the submarine, then. With a hollow clang and a thunk, The hull shook, and more people cried out.

"All right, something _did_ hit us, that time," revised Hange in a near mutter, "but it wasn't serious."

"I'll go and check," Petra offered, and she started to unfasten her safety harness.

"No, you stay put," Levi demanded sternly. "Nobody moves until we're clear. Stay seated unless you're told otherwise, got it?"

The vessel's captain spoke over the intercom, his voice coming through with a crackle. "Attention crew and passengers: we are passing through some debris. Please, remain secured in your seats until we've cleared it. Nobody is firing on us. _I repeat, nobody is firing on us_. We should be through this within the next few minutes."

Levi's tension faded with relief over the captain's announcement. It seemed to calm people down, save for those who were already oblivious due to Hange having doped them earlier. The captain looked at Eren, who had closed his eyes and taken a deep breath.

"We're fine, brat. Just keep calm and watch over your mom until we get through this."

Eren opened his eyes to gaze back and Levi, and he visibly swallowed before nodding. "Yes sir. I've just…never been this far under water before. On the base it was a little different, because it was so enclosed and you never really got the _feel_ of being under the ocean until it moved."

"Yeah, I get that." Levi nodded. "It'll be a smoother ride soon. If you're still feeling nervous when the lights go back to normal and the turbulence dies down, we can get one of Hange's pills for you."

Eren shook his head. "No…I'd rather not do that." He looked sidelong at his mother. "I need to have all my wits if something goes wrong and Mom needs protection."

Nobody could fault Eren for feeling that way. The captain gave another nod, and he turned to look at Hange. "How is it going over there, four eyes? Any sign of a trace on us yet?"

Hange shook her head. "We seem to be in the clear, for now. Let's try to keep it that way, shall we boys?"

Armin and Moblit both nodded with agreement, their faces tense with concentration. Levi sat back in his seat again, glancing toward the porthole with a little frown. They couldn't make contact with Erwin or the others that remained behind…not until they were in the clear beyond a doubt and well past the halfway mark to their destination. Attempting to do so before that condition was met ran the risk of giving themselves away to the enemy and thus increase the chance of Satellite Core tracking down their location. He tried to relax as the underwater turbulence began to settle down, and he silently hoped that the man he used to know as his commander and lover would make it through this fracas alive and whole.

"Don't lose another limb, you asshole," muttered Levi beneath his breath.

"What was that, Levi?" Eren took his attention off of his mother, and he gazed at the agent curiously.

Levi shook his head. He wasn't about to admit to Eren that he was worried for Erwin's safety. The brat had only recently stopped snarling each time the director's name was mentioned, for fuck's sake. Not that Levi thought Jaeger wanted Erwin dead, but as he'd always tried to do in the previous life, Levi preferred to avoid stirring up any jealous feelings by reminding Eren that the commander would always have a place in his heart.

"Nothing," Levi said, louder this time so that Eren could hear him clearly. "I'm just trying to mentally work out how long it's gonna take to Askurg."

Eren nodded, and he cast a look around at their fellow passengers. "Is there going to be enough room at the safe house for everyone?"

Levi shook his head. "No. The military and federation personnel will be staying at the embassy base until they get further orders. Your friends and your mother will be staying with them, under guard."

Eren's brows furrowed. "Why can't the band stay with us at this hostel, at least?"

"Because we don't want you all staying in the same place at the same time, now that we've had to leave the aquatic base. I know it sucks, but you'll have to put up with being separated from the pack again for a while."

"But how is it going to help for all the _them_ to be in one place at one time?" demanded Eren with a worried look towards Mikasa. He lowered his voice a bit. "If they find out where one of them are, then they find out where the rest are, too. Isn't that just setting them up for easier round-up?"

Levi met and held Eren's gaze. "Listen to me carefully, Eren. You are more important than the lot of them together. Yeah, maybe they'd like to get their hands on Mikasa and me because of our innate memory recollection, but the primary target is _you_. Don't forget that. If they find out the others are staying at the embassy, it's not necessarily a bad thing. It could even work out in our favor, because if they're too busy trying to figure out ways to get to your band and your mother, they're less likely to figure out where you are. They're also more likely to expose themselves and possibly lead us to Reiss."

Eren visibly swallowed. "I don't like it, Captain. It sounds like you're talking about using them as bait."

Levi shrugged, pushing aside the inner regret he felt over making that look appear on Eren's face. "You aren't exactly wrong, kid. Look, they're going to have highly trained operatives watching over them, plus the added security on the base. You're only going to have me, so worry more about yourself."

Eren gave a tired little smirk. "You're worth about a hundred trained soldiers, Levi. I'm not worried about me. I just…feel like this idea is a pretty big gamble."

"Everything's been a gamble since this whole mess started," Levi reminded him. "We're in a civil war now, of sorts. It isn't going to end until we apprehend Rod Reiss and the other leading parties behind this threat, thereby swiping the power base out from under the enemy and neutralizing them. For that to happen, we've got to bring it to international trial and prove their crimes against humanity."

Eren lowered his bright gaze, clearly troubled. "I know. I'm just scared someone's going to end up dying because of me. I hope Commander Erwin and the others are okay."

Levi found himself squeezing Eren's nearest shoulder in a quietly comforting manner. He'd been trying to hide his own concerns, and here Eren was worrying about the same thing. "You remember the kind of shit Smith pulled back in the day and always came out smelling like a rose."

Eren chuckled faintly, nodding. "Yeah. He really had a knack for defying the odds when they were stacked against him. I don't know if I found that more admirable or frightening."

"Bit of both," suggested Levi. "You're not the only one. Imagine being in my shoes when I first joined the Survey Corps. I went in with the intention of assassinating the bastard, and I ended up in his bed and at his side in all things, with my own team of elite scouts."

Levi grimaced inwardly at his slip-up in bringing up his and Erwin's past sexual relationship, but Eren only tensed briefly and then nodded. "I wonder how he does it?"

"Who knows?" Levi shrugged. "I gave up trying to figure it out. The man could probably convince a whale that it was a mouse, given enough time to persuade it. He schemes better than the worst villains I've ever met, too."

Eren's smile was a little more genuine, now. "So you think him and the others are going to be okay?"

Levi hesitated for a moment, and then he nodded. "Yeah. He's got Mike, Shadis and Pixis with him. I think between the four of them, they're going to make it."

God knew, they'd all been in even worse situations before and managed to survive it…at least until the damned beast titan showed up and started wrecking their world even more than it was already wrecked. Levi wasn't aware of the flash of residual anger and vengeance in his eyes until his lover spoke up about it.

"You've got the 'scary look', Captain," Eren pointed out softly. "What are you thinking?"

Levi nudged himself out of it, letting his expression melt back into the usual mask of boredom. "Commander Zeke," he said flatly. He met Eren's gaze again. "You and I haven't really talked much about what happened after I fell. I really hope you gave that fucker some grief before you went down, Eren."

Eren's expression darkened. "I did. Both me and Erwin together, before Erwin got killed. I don't know if he died from it or not, but he was just as fucked up as I was by the time my strength gave out. That part is fuzzy, though." Eren sighed, and he shyly settled a hand over Levi's nearest one, giving it a squeeze as his brows drew together in thought. "I'm trying to remember. I want to say that I saw him hanging halfway out of the nape of his titan body before everything went black, but I can't be sure that was what I really saw, or if it was a dying fantasy in my mind before I went."

Levi didn't admonish him for his little display of affection. It was so much like something Eren would have done in the previous life as a teenager that it made the captain feel a wave of nostalgia. Nobody near them was paying any attention to them, anyway. Everyone was absorbed in their own hushed conversations between each other, debating what was going on above the surface of the water and whether their allies had succeeded in getting rid of the latest threat.

"I don't suppose it matters much now," decided Levi. "Whatever happened after that, the titans eventually disappeared into legend. We've just got to make sure they stay there and don't make it back into the world."

Eren nodded in agreement, but his comely features were still troubled. "Um, Levi? What if that Zeke guy is part of all this? If we got reincarnated, maybe he did too and he's working with Reiss in the background. He was really smart. Maybe _he's_ the one that knew about the coordinate, and he told Reiss. What if Reiss isn't really the mastermind behind this at all?"

Levi stared at Eren so hard that the singer began to fidget. "I know," muttered Eren, lowering his gaze again. "I'm over thinking things again, right?"

Levi slowly shook his head. "No. You aren't. Christ, Jaeger…I think you're the first person to even fucking consider ape-face as a possible antagonist in this fight."

Eren flushed a little, and he peeked at Levi with modest pride. "Is that a good thing?"

"Not if you're right," stated Levi candidly. "Shit, I hope your theory isn't right. Reiss is bad enough by himself. You've definitely pointed out something we need to look into, though."

"Where are you going?" Eren questioned when the agent started unfastening his safety straps. "We're supposed to stay strapped in until the captain says we're clear, Levi!"

"Yeah, but this is too important," insisted Levi. "Stay with your Mom, Eren. I've got to go have words with Hange about this."

* * *

"Wait," said Hange with wide eyes when Levi bent over her to present Eren's idea, "you think Zeke might be involved? How?"

"The same way _we're_ all involved, shitty glasses," explained Levi. "Eren made a good point. If we came back, so could he. There was so much we still didn't know about his abilities before everything went to shit. I'm not saying it's fact, but it's something we should consider. Maybe Reiss didn't come up with these projects of his on his own, after all."

Hange exchanged a look with Moblit. "But not a single prisoner we've interrogated has mentioned anyone named Zeke, or anyone matching his description. All fingers are pointing squarely at Reiss."

"Maybe he's not going by that name if he's in on it, and he could be wearing his hair differently." Levi looked at Moblit searchingly. "What about you, Moblit? Ever hear of or seen anyone allied with the BRS that could be the ape?"

Moblit shook his head, looking both alarmed and perplexed. "No sir. If the beast titan is alive today and working with the enemy factions, I've never seen or heard any evidence. I'd remember something like that, I'm sure. I would have definitely said something."

"But you said your memory is a bit fried from getting hit with the neutralizing pulse wave," reminded Levi. "Any chance there was another reason behind them activating that protocol besides a few titans getting loose from containment?"

"I'm afraid I don't follow, Captain."

Levi ran his tongue over the back of his teeth in thought before speaking again. "You said one of those pulses will knock people flat out. You said Satellite Core sent that exo station to deal with it after something went wrong in specimen containment, right? Funny how the same thing happened at a different facility and nobody can explain just how those containment tanks managed to fail all at the same time. That seems a bit too coincidental, don't you agree?"

Moblit started going pale. "I woke up in the infirmary after the first time, and there were holes in my memory ever since. I thought we just missed something going wrong with the systems, but I could never remember what that could be. It…never really occurred to me that someone in the organization would deliberately sabotage containment to let the specimens loose. What would be the purpose, unless they were covert like Hange was?"

"The goal might not have been to just see how much damage those things could do," reasoned Levi, "though I wouldn't put it past Reiss to use his own staff as test subjects just to get a feel of what he could expect if he cut the titans loose on the population. I'm trying to think like Erwin, here. If I were the kind of person skilled at pulling strings without getting caught doing it, then my motivation wouldn't be too obvious to most people. We've been assuming the containment failure was either an accident or some sick test."

"But in releasing the test subjects, they ensured Satellite Core would act on the contingency protocol and move to bring the situation back under control," Hange said, blinking slowly, "and in doing so, stun every member of personnel that was still inside."

"Yeah." Levi compressed his lips grimly. "Perfect excuse to knock out their own people without raising any suspicions."

"And the BRS uses mind control," Hange added. She gave Moblit a look of dawning, horrified comprehension. "Oh sweetheart, I don't think those holes in your memory are singularly a result of getting caught up in that pulse at all."

Moblit swallowed. "You think they did something to me while I was out."

"I think it's a strong possibility." Hange looked between Moblit and Levi. "Two of the other people in custody had similar memory issues, and they apparently worked in the same compound as Moblit. They were there the day when Satellite Core enacted that protocol."

"But they never got the chance to do it when we hit the Trost compound," Levi said. "I don't think that incident was an accident either, but I'm betting it wasn't deployed for the same reason. Those Trost titans were probably let loose in response to our invasion. Maybe Satellite Core was on their way to try and deal with it, but we finished and got out before they could make it."

"Wait a moment," pleaded Moblit, "this is all just conjecture. We have no evidence that the beast titan is even alive! Maybe we should just stick with the facts that we know."

"The fact that we know have reasons behind them that we haven't figured out yet," Hange said. "Moblit, I understand how you feel. Levi and I probably sound like a couple of crazy conspiracy theorists, but you have to admit there could be something to Eren's idea."

"Yes, but that still leaves the question of why they would tamper with mine and my coworker's memories," insisted Moblit. "I still know all of the details about the projects. I still remember security codes. Why leave all of that, if you're right and they did something to us because they thought we were at risk of becoming liabilities?"

"Tch. For such a smart guy, you can be pretty clueless." Levi tapped his temple, and he braced himself as the craft they were in tilted a bit as its trajectory was adjusted. "Think about it, you geek. Both you and the other people we've interrogated that were there during that event have similar memory blank spots. Someone wanted you all to forget something specific. Either some of you heard something or—"

"Or you saw someone you weren't supposed to see," Hange finished for him. "Holy hell…maybe the ape man really _is_ working with them. He was a genius as you recall, and Reiss did specifically mention Levi and Mikasa's mnemonic capabilities. If Zeke is involved in this, then it's likely he wouldn't be eager to expose himself, knowing Levi is working with his opposition and would identify him if he saw him."

Levi felt a slight chill go through him, and he gazed at Hange with a blend of disconcertment and respect. As much as she tended to get on his nerves, there were times such as this when the two of them synchronized. They'd always worked well together, even when they were at each others' throats.

"I was just thinking along similar lines," he admitted when Hange raised a questioning brow over his expression.

Hange smiled. "Don't worry, pipsqueak. I won't tell anyone you think like me sometimes."

* * *

"Well?" Eren said as Levi returned to his seat. He watched the smaller man anxiously, his knee bouncing. "What did Hange say about it? Am I just being paranoid?"

"Call it caution, rather than paranoia," suggested Levi. He secured his safety straps as he spoke. "It brought about some brainstorming between Hange and me. She agrees we can't rule out the possibility, and as soon as it's safe to try and contact Erwin I'll do so and share this with him. We think there's a chance that Moblit and some of the other people he worked with at his old facility got their memories tampered with. That leaves open the possibility that someone did see monkey-face at some point, but nobody remembers it. It's a stretch, but at this point we can't just flush the theory down the shitter."

Eren winced. "I hope I'm wrong. I hope that piece of shit didn't get reborn like us and just stayed dead whenever he met his end."

"We can hope," sighed Levi. "There's nothing more to be done about it right now, though. You brought up an important point that needs to be addressed, and if it turns out to be a bunk theory, then so much the better for us. It would answer some questions about how Reiss started this project and knows about you, though. The cagey fucker might have come up with some way to get his memories back on his own, but I think it's more likely he had some help. Maybe he doesn't even _have_ his memories back, and if that's the case, someone had to plant the seed and tell him about the coordinate."

"My head hurts," complained Eren.

Levi tilted his head slightly, and those fathomless gray eyes scanned Eren's face silently for a moment before the captain parted his lips and spoke. "You should rethink taking something for your nerves. We've still got a long way to go before we reach Askurg waters, and then we'll have a few more hours' land travel before we make it to Westenfeld."

Eren forced a smirk. "You were just complaining that Hange was turning us all into druggies, and now you're pushing her pills on me."

"Heh. I'm just trying to take care of you, brat. There's no point in you sitting there fretting the whole way there. You should get some rest, and if a little medication can help facilitate that, so be it."

Eren cast an uncertain look at his mother, who was snoring softly with her head back in the seat. He'd covered her up with his jacket to keep her warm, and he was reluctant to go back on his decision to stay alert.

"I'll watch over your mom while you rest," Levi assured him.

"But what about you?" Eren looked the agent up and down, wavering. "You should probably get a little rest yourself."

"You know I only sleep for longer than three hours at a time when I'm in bed with you," Levi reminded in a low voice, pitching it so that others around them wouldn't hear the comment. "I'll be fine. Give your head a break from all this thinking and get a little shuteye."

"Is that an order?" Eren's little smile was teasing and flirtatious.

"Yes, that is an order," confirmed Levi. His expression hadn't changed, but there was a subtle twinkle in his eyes. "Hunker down and rest, soldier."

"Well, I guess I can't argue, then."

The lights flickered back on to normal as Eren started unfastening his safety straps to go and ask Hange for some medicine. The captain's voice came through the intercom system. "Attention crew and passengers: we've determined that we're on a safe, smooth course now and we should be arriving in destination waters within approximately fifteen hours. You can now move around and make use of the lavatories if needed. Please don't crowd isles, ladders or stairs, and avoid staying out of your seat for longer than necessary."

"It's almost like being on an airplane," mused Eren. In fact, the submarine's captain practically said the same thing he'd heard so many times from airplane pilots once they got up into the air. "Geez, fifteen hours? I knew it was going to take a while, but damn!"

"What did you expect?" Levi shrugged. "We're going by sea, not air."

"Good point." Eren shrugged. He'd been on an ocean cruise once before, but that wasn't quite the same as traveling underwater, and the vessel they were currently on didn't have luxuries like an on-board restaurant, swimming pool and sauna to provide entertainment. "Maybe I can work on that song I've been writing, later on. Feels like I'm getting rusty. Hey Levi, do you think there's any way my band could pick up some instruments in this place we'll be staying? Maybe we could get together for some practice, even if we can't stay in the same place together."

"I'll see what we can do once we're there," answered Levi. "I'm not making any promises, though. Having a jam session with your group isn't going to be as simple as just meeting up at some warehouse, you know. It'd have to be really low-key and you need to avoid being seen in public."

"I know," sighed Eren. It looked like he was going to end up cooped up indoors again. It was frustrating. He just wanted this all to end, so that he could have his freedom back and start enjoying a new life with Levi. He frowned a bit as he thought of this, and he looked at his lover sidelong as he finished unbuckling his safety belt. Where were they going to live, once this was all over with? He hadn't even thought to discuss that with Levi. Now that Trost UFI headquarters was gone, maybe Levi would be willing to relocate to Tarsus Valley. Perhaps he would even be willing to move in with Eren. Hange could probably work in that UFI branch's technical department, if she didn't want to start over with her medical career.

All of the sudden, it hit Eren stronger than ever. He'd spent so much time worrying about honing those combat skills from his previous life and staying out of enemy hands. When he wasn't focused on that, his attention was always on Levi because the man seemed to have become a bullet magnet in this life. Eren really hadn't had the opportunity to put much thought into how all of this was going to change everyone's living situations. He still had his place, provided the BRS hadn't broken in again and torn it up by now. Levi had an apartment in Trost, even though he no longer had his headquarters to work at. If he agreed to move up to Eren's neck of the woods, they'd have to pack up whatever he wanted to bring with him, probably rent a moving truck and then figure out where to put it in Eren's apartment. He was willing to get rid of some of his own furnishings to make room for Levi's, but he really wasn't sure if the man would go for it. After all, this was the first time in their history together over two lifetimes that they even had the opportunity to share a private home together.

Eren's attention switched to Hange, and his own confusing situation seemed mild in comparison to hers.

 _~Damn…poor Hange.~_

It was fine to sit there and assume the doctor would want to work permanently for the UFI, but research and medicine were both still her passion. Why would she want to give that up in exchange for a tech position? Her clinic was gone now, though. Maybe her home wouldn't be there when she got back. She might literally have nothing left save what she had with her now. She didn't even get the chance to get any of her clothes from her temporary residency in Trost.

"Are you gonna go and get a pill from her or what?" Levi's inquiring voice broke through Eren's troubled thoughts, prompting the singer to blink at him. Levi nodded in Hange's direction. "You're just sitting there staring at her with puppy eyes. Don't tell me you're scared to ask for the medicine, Jaeger."

Eren shook his head, his mouth twisting a bit. "No, that isn't it. It just dawned on me how much this is going to change all of our lives, no matter how it ends. Some people's more than others. What's Miss Hange going to do when this is over with? She blew up her own clinic. I feel bad for not even thinking of that before now."

Levi nodded calmly. "Yeah, lives are going to change. My branch is probably going to be operating out of a warehouse or something for a while, until headquarters can be rebuilt again. As for Hange, she can take care of herself. Four eyes seems to have a plan for everything, even when it's spur of the moment. You know that."

It was a good point, Eren had to admit. Maybe both his and Hange's places would still be intact when and if they ever got the chance to go home, but it still left the question up in the air of his and Levi's situation. He stared at his lover, biting his lip and wondering if now was even the appropriate time to bring that up. Who knew how long they were going to be stuck in hiding, after all? Who knew how long it would be before things returned to some semblance of normalcy and they could even begin planning a future together? Here they were, miles underwater on their way to another continent, and Eren was picturing him and Levi speaking wedding vows.

"You look like you're trying to have a shit," Levi observed bluntly. "What else is on your mind, Eren?"

Eren looked away. Levi always managed to read unspoken things from him so easily. He shrugged, and he decided to part with at least a little bit of what was swirling around in his mind. "I was also thinking of us. You and me, that is. I was just wondering if we'll be in a long distance relationship when this is all over."

The captain's dark, thin brows pinched slightly. "Why would we…oh. I see."

"You must be tired too," guessed Eren with a little smirk. "You totally forgot we live in different zip codes, didn't you?"

"Hmph. I've had other things on my mind, brat." Levi combed his fingers through his dark bangs, and he heaved a sigh. "Look, we can work all of that out at the right time. Trying to plan how our relationship is going to go when we don't even have an estimate of when this is all going to be over with isn't going to get us anywhere."

"Yeah, but…I don't want to live in separate cities," Eren nearly whined. "I've found you again. We're together. I want to live together, too. I just need some reassurance that you're on the same page as me, as far as that goes."

Levi's expression tightened briefly in exasperation. "Why the hell would I go through all of this to keep you safe, just to fuck off when its over and live three states away from you? We'll figure it out, Eren. Besides, there's going to be some separation anyhow, right?"

"What do you mean?" Eren cocked his head inquisitively.

"You'll be going back to being the front man of your band," elaborated the agent, "and I'm sure you guys are going to be touring again as soon as it's ideal. You'll put out another album and you'll tour the county to promote it, so obviously we'll be apart for a while at some point."

"Actually, I was thinking maybe you could go on tour with us when that happens." Eren smiled sheepishly at him, hopefully. "You can act as my personal bodyguard by day, and by night you can be my groupie."

Levi's brows went up slowly. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say you've been heavy into comic books, at some point."

Eren chuckled, and he shrugged. "What gave it away?"

"The weird double identity you've assigned me." Levi crossed his legs and leaned back in his seat, relaxing his arms on the rests. "So what superhero name would you give me, to go with this assigned skill set?"

"Er…" Eren thought about it, but his imagination had been in overtime and he was rather tapped out, now. "Captain…uh…Sexy. Yeah, Captain Sexy."

Levi's mouth quirked so briefly that it might have been a trick of the light. "'Captain Sexy'," he repeated flatly. "Interesting."

"Well, I don't know," excused Eren, spreading his hands. "My brain's been over-clocked and I'm burning out. I can come up with something better later on."

"Hopefully." Levi narrowed his eyes in consideration, and then he undid his safety straps and got up. "Come on."

Eren didn't bother trying to hide his puzzlement, but he got up as well. "Where are we going?"

"You need to take a piss."

"No I don't—"

When Levi shot a look at him, Eren immediately corrected himself. "Yes I do."

* * *

"Oh shit…oh shit, Levi!"

Eren leaned back against the wall of the narrow lavatory, his hands splaying over the surface of it. He shuddered and came down the smaller man's swallowing throat, his vision blurring with the pleasure of it. He hadn't expected this at all. His thoughts were so jumbled that he took it literally when Levi told him to take a piss. Having the man squeeze in nimbly behind him, close the door and order him to drop his pants had been a startling surprise. When Levi went down on him immediately, that surprise became beautifully pleasant. Now the singer was struggling to keep his knees from buckling as Levi licked him clean and tugged his pants back up for him.

"Feeling more relaxed now?" Levi purred, looking up from his task to study Eren's flushed face. His hands deftly tucked Eren's sated junk back into his underwear before zipping up and buttoning his jeans.

"Yeah," breathed Eren. "That was…you…I really didn't see that coming."

Levi smirked at him, and he reached up to smooth aside a wayward lock of hair that had fallen over Eren's right eye. "You're too transparent for me to have told you up front what I was going to do. People would have seen it in your face as we passed them."

Eren swallowed, working moisture back into his mouth. "I don't have your poker face. Wow, that was great."

Levi's eyes flashed with satisfaction. "Good. You leave the lavatory first, and go get a pill from Hange if you're still feeling anxious. I'll be right behind you."

"Okay, but um…about what we touched on earlier…"

"Eren, we are going to figure that out in due time," chastised Levi. "The discussion of who's going to move where isn't going to be very productive, at this point."

"But you're okay with us living together when this is finished?" pressed Eren, needing that confirmation.

Levi sighed, and he cupped the back of the singer's head to draw him down for a kiss. "Yes," he murmured against Eren's lips a moment later. "I promise, when this is over with you and I will work on sharing an address. We'll figure it out, you shitty brat."

Eren smiled, feeling some of the weight lift. "That's all I really needed to hear, Levi."

* * *

-To be continued


	34. Chapter 34

Eren didn't know what name to give to what he felt. Normally, he would call it "jet lag", but really it was more like "marine lag", considering they'd made this long trip in an underwater vessel. They had just arrived at the Marina port in Westenfeld, and he stretched to ease his cramped muscles. He sighed with relief as he peered up at the partly cloudy sky, and he shivered a little with a chill as a blast of ocean air whipped his hair around.

"Wow, kind of cold here," he remarked to his companion as Levi came up beside him. "Oh, thanks!"

Levi had carried Eren's leather jacket out with him, and he handed it over to the singer with a nod. "We'll get everything unloaded in a minute. Our transport to our next location should arrive soon."

"Okay." Eren sighed as he looked at his band-mates and friends. "I guess we're not going to be staying at the same location, guys."

"I guess not." Connie grimaced, but he shrugged. "Makes sense, though. At least they're letting your mom come with you."

Eren thought of his mother, who was still inside the submarine asleep. Hange had kept her sedated through most of the trip to avoid any panic attacks. They were probably going to have to carry her out of there and into whatever vehicle they'd be taking to the hostel. Eren turned to Levi again. "You haven't told me where the guys are going to be staying."

"We'll discuss that on our way to the hostel," said Levi. "Not out here in the open. Look, there's our ride now." He nodded toward the end of the dock, where a sharp-dressed man held up a sign that read: "Maelstrom".

"Oh. How do you know that's for us, and not for the band?"

"Because their transportation has been instructed to use 'Rock and Roll' as their identification sign."

Eren smirked. "That's fitting." He turned to his band again. "Well guys, I guess this is us. I'd better get my mom and our things."

Mikasa gave him a hug, and then she stood aside to let the others do the same. "Keep in contact with us whenever possible, Eren. Be careful, okay?"

"You bet." He stepped back after getting his last hug from Sasha. "Uh, Levi? What about Hange and the others?"

"She and Moblit will be coming with us," explained Levi. "Petra and Eld will go with the others, along with a small security team. That way, everyone has senior agents watching over them."

The singer relaxed a bit. Levi had discussed some of the details with him, but not all of them. He felt reassured by the man's confidence. "Okay. I'll go and get Mom, then."

* * *

It was strange to see Ymir and Historia again. Levi was stoic about it, but Eren was openly enthused. He softly reminded his lover that the two women did not have past life recollection of them, while they were alone in the lobby.

"Let's not freak our hosts out," suggested Levi softly to the taller man. "We can handle this situation without giving anything away, Eren."

Eren nodded in agreement, but he couldn't stop smiling when their hosts returned to the lobby to inform them that their rooms were ready. Ymir gave Eren's mother a puzzled look, noting the way the woman was leaning into her son's embrace, barely able to stand on her own two feet.

"Hey, is she going to be all right?" Ymir nodded at Madeline meaningfully.

"She'll be fine," assured Levi. "She just had to take some medication for travel anxiety, so she's a little out of it right now. Show us to her room first, please."

"Okay, then." Ymir shrugged. "Where are the rest of you?"

"Dr. Zoë should be coming in with her companion in a minute. Just ignore anything crazy she might say."

Historia smiled tolerantly. "Crazy? Well, you've all been through a lot, from what I understand. This way, please."

Levi and Eren followed the two women, with Eren supporting his mother the whole way. They went up the stairs to the third floor of the building and their hosts showed them to room 32. "Yours is just across the hallway," Historia told them after unlocking the door and handing over a key to Levi. "I made sure of that after learning your mother would be with you, Mr. Jaeger."

"Thanks," he said. "I appreciate that. Mom? Do you want to lay down? We've got a nice bed for you now."

"Sure," yawned Madeline. Still stupified by medication, she grinned sloppily at her son, then at Levi. "Why don't you boys take a nap with me?"

Eren could guess by the look in his lover's eye that Levi wasn't fond of the idea of the three of them piling into one bed together, and he laughed softly. "I don't think we'll all fit, Ma. We'll be just across the hallway if you need us, though."

"Okay, honey. Man, I can barely keep my eyes open! That doctor of yours really dosed me with the good stuff."

"Yeah, Hange doesn't play when it comes to that," remarked Levi. He held the door open for Eren to guide his mother in. The room was a charming little suite with white lacy curtains and a pale blue quilt on the queen-sized bed. The floor was polished hardwood and there was a small round breakfast table near the window. "Nice place you girls have put together."

Historia smiled widely, beaming at the compliment. "Thank you, sir. Ymir and I worked very hard to establish this hostel. Oh, by the way; the bathroom for this floor is at the end of the hall near the stairs we came up."

"And there's a laundry room right across from it," added Ymir. "You have to supply your own detergent and softener, though."

Levi shrugged, watching as Eren helped his mother onto the bed and covered her up with the quilt. "It will do. We can go out shopping later and pick up some stuff."

"Breakfast is at seven in the morning, downstairs in the dining hall," supplied Historia, her pale blue gaze flicking between Eren and Levi. "I make it myself, and it's complimentary!"

Eren grinned at her, unsurprised to hear the shy pride in her voice. As she'd always been in the past, the petite blonde was clearly a generous person in this life, as well. "I'm sure it's delicious. I'll be there tomorrow morning."

He kissed his mother on the cheek and straightened up. "I'll be right back with your luggage, Mom. Just get some sleep, okay?"

"Thank you, sweetie," mumbled Madeline. She snuggled deeper into the covers, and she hugged the spare pillow to her chest with a sigh.

* * *

No sooner did they get settled in, than Hange came knocking at their door. Levi let her in with a rueful little sigh. She had an excited look on her face. "What? You've obviously got something you want to tell us."

"Oh yes indeed, I do!" Hange clasped her hands together, rubbing them. "You aren't going to believe what I just found out a minute ago, Levi!"

Eren frowned in puzzlement as the doctor and her blond assistant came in, shutting the door behind them. "Did you hack into enemy databases or something?"

"As a matter of fact..." Moblit started, but Hange cut him off.

"We did! Guess what names came up when we were getting information on Satellite Core staff, Levi! It's going to be of particular interest to you."

The captain shrugged, and he leaned against the wall before folding his arms across his chest. "I dunno. I'm guessing Reiss must have popped up somewhere in there. Did you find his location, or what?"

"Sadly, nothing about Rod Reiss was in the databanks," Hange informed, deflating somewhat. "We still have no clue where that little weasel is hiding. However, two of the agents assigned to this very city's branch are old friends of yours."

Levi frowned at her, in no mood to play guessing games. "What the hell are you talking about, four eyes?"

Hange smirked. "I'm talking about Isabel and Farlan. They live here, and they're only a couple of blocks away from us! They're with Satellite Core."

Levi couldn't fully mask the stunned look that came over his face. It took a moment for him to regain the power of speech. "You're sure about this?"

Hange nodded enthusiastically. "Positive. I have their address. Interestingly enough, they live together in the same apartment." She looked at Moblit, before meeting Levi's gaze again. "So we thought: _'Why not kidnap them?'_ Not only would they provide an excellent source of information, but with my tonic, they'll remember their past lives and they'd probably switch to our side!"

"That was actually _her_ idea," Moblit corrected. "I'm not in love with the thought of kidnapping anyone."

Levi's mind raced as he considered the idea. Farlan and Isabel...alive and reborn, and incidentally working with the enemy. It could work. He could subdue them and bring them there. Maybe they could even give them information of Reiss's whereabouts and help put an end to this conflict for good.

"Levi?" Eren said, his voice laced with concern. "Are you okay?"

Levi met his lover's vivid gaze, and he gave a brief, sharp nod. "Better than okay. Shitty glasses just put an ace up my sleeve."

With that said, he got out his phone and he dialed Erwin's number, not only to check in on him, but to inform him of what he'd learned and what he was planning to do.

* * *

He was not okay with this. None of it sat right with him. What his organization was prepared to do for their sister organizations was barbaric, to say the least. Farlan hung up the phone, and he looked at his red-haired companion with a tight frown.

"You aren't going to believe what they've got planned, Isabel."

The young woman didn't look particularly worried. "Does it matter? The Brass pushed us too far with their attacks. Whatever the bosses have planned, it's a sure thing the enemy earned it."

"Yeah, but it's not just going to hit the 'enemy'," explained Farlan grimly. "It's going to hit civilians, too. We've got to evacuate. I guess they think someone in the command ranks of the operatives giving us so much grief is here in Westenfeld, and they're making their move against them in twenty-four hours. Trust me, you and I don't want to be anywhere near this city when it starts."

Isabel's youthful features took on a puzzled expression. She absently reached up to capture a vivid lock of her hair, and she twirled it in her fingers. "Okay...I'm officially curious now. What's going on, bro?"

Farlan started to answer her, but there was a knock at their door. He cast an annoyed look in that direction. "Hold on. I'll see who that is."

The blond man walked to the door, and he peered through the peephole. He found himself looking at a face that was strikingly familiar to him, but he couldn't recall where he'd seen it before.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Farlan muttered to himself. Figuring it must be a delivery guy or something, he slid the chain on the door aside and he twisted the deadbolt. "Hey Isabel, did you order something online recently? I think—"

He didn't get to complete his sentence. As soon as he opened the door, the black-haired, grim looking young man on the other side of it dove through and tackled him to the floor without warning.

"Bro!" Isabel shouted in alarm as Farlan grappled with his attacker. "Hey, get off of him!"

Farlan heard the click of a pistol, and he knew his roommate had grabbed her gun. He was about to tell her to go ahead and shoot the bastard when his opponent's fist met his jaw, hitting him hard enough to make him black out.

* * *

"Damn, Levi," exclaimed Hange as she came in behind him. Her brows were practically raised to her hairline. "Taking things a bit personal, are we?"

Levi glanced up from the small woman he'd launched himself at and knocked out cold, after dealing with Farlan. He picked up her weapon and he ejected the clip from it. "She tried to shoot me. I didn't have much of a choice."

"You can't lecture on 'taking things personally'," Moblit said to Hange as he joined them in the small apartment. He cast a wary look down the hallway before pulling the door shut behind him.

Hange shrugged, and she retrieved a pair of handcuffs from her jacket. "I suppose not. You have your cuffs?"

Moblit nodded, and he pulled said handcuffs out of his jacket pocket. "I'll cuff the guy."

Hange went over to Isabel to cuff her while Moblit took care of Farlan. Seeing the bruise rapidly darkening Isabel's cheek, she clucked her tongue. "I still say you overdid it, grump. We're going to need to put a steak on this or something, when we get back."

"Let's just worry about getting these two out of here and to the hostel without attracting any attention," suggested Levi. They'd rented a car and parked it in the alley. Leaving this apartment building without being seen with their abductees was going to be easier than getting into the hostel without rousing suspicion. The last thing they needed on top of everything else was for a local to call the authorities on them.

* * *

A little while later, Eren watched with wide eyes as Levi and Moblit carried Farlan and Isabel in respectively, slung over their shoulders in a fireperson's carry. Farlan had a black eye, and Isabel's face was swollen and bruised.

"Let me guess; they put up a struggle?"

Levi dropped Farlan onto the bed and rolled him aside a bit to make room for Isabel. "That's right. You know I don't play around when someone takes a swing at me, Jaeger. Doesn't matter who they are."

"No kidding," sighed Eren, all too aware of that fact. He still remembered how hard Levi could kick, having been on the receiving end of an ass-whooping from the man more than once in his previous life. "I'll go and see if they have any ice downstairs."

Levi nodded. "You do that. If anyone questions why, tell them I sprained my ankle while I was out today. Check in with your mother, too."

"Already did," Eren informed him. "She's doing a lot better now. We went on a little walk together while you were out."

Levi looked up at Eren sharply, his attention immediately torn away from tending to Farlan. "You did _what_?"

"Uh...went on a walk?" repeated Eren, suddenly feeling the color drain from his face. Whoops. Maybe he wasn't supposed to have done that.

Levi confirmed it. "Eren, you are _never_ to leave the premises without me, and neither should your mom. Remember who Historia's father is and what he tried to do to you. She might not be on speaking terms and this would probably be the last place he'd think to look for you, but don't think for a second he wouldn't have someone keeping an eye on his daughter from time to time. If anyone recognizes you and reports back to him, you're gonna end up abducted again and I'll have to save your ass once more."

Eren could see his point, but it raised another one for him. "If it's so dangerous for me to be seen in public without you, then why are we staying under Historia's roof to begin with? What if one of the other renters in this place is a spy for her dad? I don't think she does background checks on everyone that comes through here, you know?"

Levi parted his lips, and he hesitated. Hange raised a brow at the agent. "He's got a valid point, shorty. Hiding Eren right under Reiss' nose was a clever idea, but you know as well as anyone how much of a control freak that man is. He probably knows the names of everyone that comes and stays here."

"Then it's a good thing we used new aliases instead of real names," snapped Levi, clearly frustrated. "Besides, this way we'll be one of the first people to know if Reiss contacts his daughter."

"Hmm, maybe. I suppose if Erwin trusts Historia enough to arrange this as a safe house, it should be fine." Hange sighed and she went to the bed as Moblit eased Isabel onto it. "I'm just worried that it's too easy...especially after the point Eren just made. You should have your agency do a screening on everyone staying in this place to be sure."

Levi was already getting out his phone. "Right. I'll jump on that right now. Eren, hurry up with that ice and don't talk to anyone unless you have to. Keep conversation with everyone—including our hosts—brief and vague."

"Yes sir."

Eren left to see if they had any ice downstairs, and Hange went to the room she and Moblit were staying in to retrieve the memory tonics she'd brewed up for their esteemed guests.

* * *

"Rise and shine," Levi greeted a little while later, slapping Farlan's cheeks to rouse him. The blond man groaned, and his confusion was evident when he opened his eyes and looked up at his captors.

"What the hell—?"

Hange came up behind Levi, and she gave him the bottle of potent tonic. "Here you are, grump."

"Thanks." Levi took the item from her, and he met Farlan's gaze again. "I'm going to make this short and simple. You and the girl can either drink this down willingly, or I can force it down your throat. Once we've gotten that out of the way, I've got some questions for you. It'd be in your best interest to answer them truthfully and precisely."

Farlan's eyes widened, flicking between Levi's face and the bottle in the agent's hand. "I don't know who you people are or what you're trying to pull, but you picked the wrong people to kidnap. We're part of a government organization and when they find out we're missing—"

"They'll send people after you," finished Levi for him. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "Problem with that is if they find you, they'll probably silence you for good. They wouldn't want to risk their secrets getting out, and whether they believe you were held against your will or think you turned on them, the results will probably still be the same."

"Look, I don't even know what you want!" exclaimed Farlan. He rubbed his swollen eye and he winced in pain. "If you let us go right now, I won't tell anyone, okay? You seriously don't need to be messing with my superiors, guy."

Levi smirked. "Too late for that, isn't it? Your superiors are guilty of aiding in the kidnapping of civilians and illegal research, by the way. You're better off disassociating with them, Farlan."

The blond man blinked. "How do you know my name?"

"I looked in your wallet, genius," excused Levi. It was more plausible than telling him they'd been friends and roommates in a previous life. Farlan would figure that part out for himself in a few hours, when Hange's tonic did its magic on him.

Eren came in at that moment, and he was carrying a bowl of ice cubes in his hands. "Oh, one of you is awake. Uh, here. Some ice for your eye. Sorry about this."

Farlan frowned at Eren, but he took a cube from the bowl offered to him and he pressed it against his eye. "Will one of you please tell me what we're doing here, and why this guy's trying to make me drink whatever's in that bottle?"

"Think of it like a truth serum," Hange offered. "It's going to open up your eyes quite a bit, dear."

"My eyes are open enough," snapped Farlan, "at least, the left one is. Thanks to this punk, I can't say the same about the right one." He shot a glare at Levi.

Isabel moaned and rolled onto her side, straining against the restriction of the cuffs locked around her wrists. "F-Farlan? What happened?"

"These people happened," answered the blond. "Or at least, this guy happened. He must have knocked you out too. You okay, sis?"

"Sis?" repeated Levi.

"By adoption," answered Isabel. "Ouch, Farlan! Why'd you just jab me like that?"

"Because you're giving shit away to the people that kidnapped us! Don't tell them a damned thing, all right?"

Isabel struggled into a sitting position, looking around at their hosts with wide green eyes. "Hey! Let us go, you creeps!"

"Not until we get our answers," Levi said firmly, "and even then, you're better off in our custody. Satellite Core has gone too far, and we need some insiders to testify against them in court."

"Believe me, you're best off doing as he says," urged Moblit, standing beside Hange. "I've been in your place before. It's not going to end well if you resist."

"What are you gonna do? Torture us?" Isabel's brows drew down, and she glared at Levi challengingly. Her angry expression altered a bit, and confusion leaked into it. "Hey, do I know you from somewhere?"

"More like some _when_ ," corrected Levi. "So, which one of you wants to drink first?"

"I'm not drinking whatever poison you're trying to give me!" Isabel tried to kick out at Levi, and he caught her petite foot in mid-swing, shaking his head.

"Don't try that again, midget."

"Who are you calling 'midget'?" scoffed Isabel. "You're not much bigger than me!"

Levi fought a smirk. She really hadn't changed, except she wore her hair down instead of in those ridiculous pig-tails he remembered. "I don't want to hurt either of you. Let's not make this harder than it needs to be, all right?"

"Screw you!" Isabel grunted, trying to pull her foot free of Levi's iron grip. "Gimme back my foot, you jerk!"

"Make me." Now he was picking on her. Levi couldn't help himself, though. He came close to ruffling her hair in his customary way of showing affection, but he stopped himself. "All right, brat, since you just tried to kick me, you get to go first."

"Like hell I am!" Isabel struggled as Levi suddenly released her foot and grabbed her by one of her arms. "Stop it! Leggo! Farlan, help!"

The blond was trying to help, but with his wrists cuffed like hers, there wasn't much he could do. He clubbed Levi over the head with his bound hands and he cursed at him to leave Isabel alone. When his attack proved ineffective, he panicked.

"I'll drink it," Farlan shouted at last, giving Levi pause. When the captain stopped his action of forcing the bottle to Isabel's lips to look at him questioningly, Farlan repeated himself. "I'll drink it. Just don't hurt her."

Levi's throat tightened. Yes, just like old times, Farlan was looking out for Isabel. He hated himself for doing this to them, but there was no other choice. They were far better off in UFI custody than they were in Satellite Core employment. Levi nodded, and he released Isabel. He handed the tonic over to Farlan and he watched as the blond unstopped it, glaring at him all the while.

"Smells gross," observed Farlan with a sniff, wrinkling his nose.

"It tastes worse," warned Moblit. "I have some orange soda here that you can wash it down with, afterwards."

"Yeah, it does kind of taste like ass," agreed Eren. "Hey Hange, I thought you said you were working on improving the flavor?"

"I have," assured the scientist with a shrug. "There's only so much I can do, though. This batch was made with grape juice to help cut down on the bitterness."

"Wait, you guys have drunk this stuff?" If anything, Farlan looked more suspicious. "What are you, in a cult or something? Is this going to make me hallucinate?"

"Nothing like that," said Eren. "It'll probably make you gag a little, though. When I drank it I nearly puked."

"Farlan, don't do it," begged Isabel as the blond sighed and brought the bottle to his lips. "Just 'cause this guy says he drank it doesn't mean he's telling the truth! You don't know what that might do to you, bro!"

"I have a feeling I know what this guy will do to you if I don't," Farlan pointed out with a grimace at Levi. "Well, here's to everyone's health."

Farlan gulped down the tonic to the last drop, and he coughed and dropped the bottle on the floor when he finished. He covered his mouth and visibly struggled with his gag reflex. "Shit," he finally blurted after composing himself. "It tastes like sewage!"

"Hmm, really?" Hange looked dismayed. "So sorry for that. I tried to cut down the yuck factor."

"Looks like you didn't succeed," observed Levi. He moved aside for Moblit as the taller man approached with a can of soda for Farlan.

"Here, this should help," offered Moblit solicitously.

"Thanks," gasped Farlan absently. He took the can, opened it and had a few swallows. "Okay, I've drank your concoction. So why don't you tell me what you people want? Hey! Get away from her!"

He made a grab for Levi as the captain reached for Isabel again, but Levi popped him smartly in the jaw with his elbow, stunning him. "I agreed not to hurt her," he pointed out. "Fuck, you little shit!" He shook his smarting hand after Isabel's sharp little teeth bit into it. "Hange, give me the other bottle. Hurry it up, four eyes."

"I'm not drinking it!" Hollered Isabel defiantly.

Seeing the trouble Levi was having with her, Eren stepped closer. "Hey, calm down. Quit thrashing like that or you'll hurt yourself."

To Levi's amazement, Isabel's struggles abruptly ceased. Her face took on a blank expression, and she stared up at Eren unblinkingly. Confused by her change of temperament, Levi turned his head to look up at Eren. The singer's eyes seemed to glow with an inner light, and the amber color that tended to intensify when Eren was emotional had all but swallowed the green hue in his irises.

 _~His coordinate. He's using his coordinate on Isabel to make her cooperate.~_

It was startling. Levi had seen Eren do this trick exactly once since meeting him in this life, and he wasn't even sure he'd been using it because everything had happened so fast. "Eren...tell her to drink it."

Eren nodded, his comely features tense with concentration. "Please drink the tonic, Isabel. It's going to be okay."

Isabel slowly reached for the flask in Levi's hand, and he relinquished it to her. Ignoring Farlan's groan, Levi watched as the redheaded girl followed his example and drank down every last drop. Moblit gave her a can of soda, and she stared stupidly at it.

"Oh, drink that, too," Eren said, realizing she was still under his trance and awaiting his command.

Isabel began to drink from the can, and Moblit brought Farlan a fresh one when he saw that his previous one was on the floor and spilled. "Here."

Farlan knocked the can out of his hand with a growl, and he looked at Levi threateningly. "I don't know what you just did to her, pal, but I'll kill you if anything happens to her because of you."

"Nothing's going to happen to her because of me," informed Levi. "If anything, she's safer now than she was before."

"Not while we're here," Farlan said ominously.

Levi met his gaze thoughtfully. "Yeah? Are you saying that because we abducted you, or is there something else going on that I need to know about?"

Farlan went tight-lipped and silent. Levi shrugged, and he looked up at Eren again. "Eren, stop. Your nose is bleeding."

Eren blinked, clearly disoriented. He brushed his fingertips under his nose when he felt the warm trickle of blood. "Damn. This is why I haven't even tried to use my coordinate. I wasn't even sure I _could_. I just didn't want the girl to get hurt, so I tried it."

"Eren, that's amazing," Hange enthused. "Try it on me, now!"

"No, don't try it on anyone," countered Levi before his lover could respond to Hange's demand. "Obviously it will make you sick if you use it too much, just like it used to. You accomplished what needed to be done. Let's avoid overdoing it, shall we?"

"What the hell?" Isabel sputtered as soon as she came back to herself. "Why does my mouth taste like I just licked tar off the road? What did you bastards do to me?"

"Relax," Levi advised. "The taste will go away after a while, from what I understand. In the meantime, I'd like you to answer some questions about Satellite Core—specifically where they could be hiding Rod Reiss."

Isabel and Farlan exchanged a look, and the latter spoke up. "We aren't telling you shit. You've already lied about not hurting Isabel. We can't trust anything you say."

"I didn't hurt her," Levi pointed out. "She's just fine, and so are you. I don't plan on striking either of you again unless you leave me absolutely no choice, so behave yourselves."

"Levi, can I have a word with you?" Hange said. "Outside?"

He sighed. What a rotten time for Hange to want to have a discussion. "Can't it wait? I'm in the middle of something, shitty glasses."

"No, this really shouldn't wait," she insisted. "Come on, shrimp. It'll only take a minute or three."

Levi clenched his jaw. "Fine. Eren and Moblit, try to reason with these clowns while Hange and I have a chat."

"Yes sir," they both said in unison.

Levi turned and he walked outside the room with Hange. Once the door was shut behind them, he looked up at her expectantly. "Well? What do you need to talk about?"

"I think it would be better to wait for some of their memories to kick in before asking more questions," Hange suggested. "Both of them are pretty pissed off right now, Levi. Surely you see that they aren't going to cooperate right away, and it isn't as though we have a reason for urgency, right now. Give it 'till tomorrow. We can take shifts watching them. After all, three of us know what it's like to go down memory lane after living our lives without that recollection."

Levi considered her proposition. He almost disagreed with her, but he could not dispute the observation she'd made. Maybe when Isabel and Farlan started to remember who they once were and how they were once a family, they would be more willing to part with information. Besides, Levi really didn't want to resort to further violence against them. Even if they could not remember it right now, they were the closest thing he'd had to family back in the day when he'd lived in the Underground.

"I guess you're right," he admitted at last. "Good call, Hange. We'll try it your way."

She smiled at him, and she chucked him gently on the chin. "Thatta boy. See? I come up with useful ideas sometimes."

"When you aren't offering yourself up as an experimental subject for Eren's coordinate ability, sure." Levi sighed, his lips thinning as he thought of the nosebleed Eren had caused himself. "I suppose you're going to need to do a little research, on that front. Whatever they did to him when they had Eren in their custody, it triggered his abilities. He's going to need to know how to control that or else he'll end up trancing his audience, once him and his band get back on stage."

"Oooh, interesting," Hange said, brows going up. "And with some of those song lyrics, can you imagine the chaos it would cause? People are going to be trying to kiss rain and tear their hearts out if he accidentally uses the coordinate during a concert."

"Exactly. We don't need a _'Remember the Titans'_ concert ending in a bunch of suicides or homicides. Eren already beats himself up enough for his stupid mistakes."

"When _you_ aren't doing it," teased Hange with a smirk.

"Hey, I haven't hit him once in this life," protested Levi, though he was resisting a smirk of his own.

"Well, I'm sure the memory of what it's like when you do is enough of a deterrent for bad behavior." Hange chuckled. "All you need to do is ask him if he wants to lose a tooth, I'm sure."

"He wouldn't be able to regenerate it in this life. Maybe I'm being too soft on him."

Hange pressed a hand against her breast. "No, you're just in loooove."

"Shut up, four eyes," grumbled Levi.

* * *

Later on, Levi and Eren were sitting down in the dining hall of the Hostel, enjoying a home-cooked meal made by Historia. Eren watched his lover as Levi spooned up some stew, wondering how he was feeling. Even now, Levi wasn't an easy man to read.

"You aren't mad at me, are you?" pressed Eren at last.

Levi paused, and his thin, dark brows furrowed slightly. "Why would I be?"

Eren shrugged, and he had a taste of his stew before adding a little salt and pepper to it. "Because I went on that walk without you today, and because I used my coordinate on your friend."

"All right, I'm a little bit annoyed that you took the walk," admitted Levi. He took a bite of stew, and he wiped the corner of his mouth with his napkin. "You should have known better than that. I'm not upset with you for using your coordinate on Isabel earlier, though."

The sleepy gray eyes met Eren's, and for a brief moment, Levi's shields dropped. A glimpse of emotion became visible in his gaze. "You saved me some trouble with that. I really didn't want to have to hit her again."

Understanding of his dilemma, Eren nodded. "I never got the chance to meet them before and you didn't talk much about it, but I know those two mean a lot to you. I'm glad I could help."

Levi took a sip of his tea, eyes thoughtful. "Pity you won't get a chance to really get to know either of them. I'm going to have to turn them over to custody, when we've finished with them. I don't know how this is all going to pan out."

Feeling sorry for the other man, Eren rubbed his sneaker-clad foot against Levi's beneath the table. "I'm sorry. I wish I could do more for you."

Levi met his gaze evenly, and he brushed his foot against Eren's in return. "You've done plenty, brat. I do appreciate it."

Warmed by the proclamation, Eren smiled at the smaller man. He bit his lip, stopping himself from declaring his love for Levi out loud. He'd already told him how much he loved him so many times, and the captain was going through a rough time as it was. He didn't need Eren fawning redundantly over him. He just needed his support.

"Whatever you need, Levi. I'll do whatever you need."

"Scout's honor?" Levi smirked at him.

Eren nodded. "Yeah. Scout's honor. Absolutely."

* * *

-To be continued


	35. Chapter 35

After having dinner with Eren, Levi called Erwin up to inform him of their recent acquisition. Erwin was suitably surprised. "And how did you manage to find this information to begin with?" pressed the director. "I won't bother asking how you apprehended them."

"Hange and Moblit must have sat right down and got back to work, once we got settled in at the hostel," explained Levi. "Guess they were trying to find information on the whereabouts of Reiss, but instead they came across Farlan and Isabel's status and location."

"How long has it been since they consumed Hange's tonic?" asked Erwin.

"Probably not long enough to do more than confuse them," admitted Levi. "I know it can take several hours to a full day for the first memories to come back with any clarity."

"Yes, that seems to be the standard," agreed Erwin. "But you know we are going to have to take them into custody, Levi. They need to be detained and questioned. This could lead the way to Reiss, and as much as I respect your abilities, a hostel is not the ideal place to keep them secured."

"I get that," sighed Levi. "I know, Erwin. I'd just like the chance to work with them a bit myself, before our guys come to pick them up. What's your ETA? You never told me, last time we had contact."

"We had some kinks to work out due to the recent encounter with Satellite Core, as I said. I can have agents there to collect Isabel and Farlan within approximately seven hours. In the meantime, please keep them safe and secure, Levi."

"I plan to, but chief, keep it in mind that once they start getting their memories back, they're gonna recall how they know you. They'll remember how you got us into Survey Corps. Hell, they might even remember how they died right off the bat. That would be a sucky first memory to get."

"So what you're saying is that there's a better chance of them cooperating sooner if you're directly involved," stated Erwin. It wasn't a question.

Levi shrugged and he glanced through the double sliding door window leading from the balcony he stood on into his suite. Farlan and Isabel were grudgingly eating the stew that Eren had brought them, and Moblit and Hange were off talking softly in the corner.

"Can you think of anyone else from their past lives they'd trust right now, besides me?"

"No," admitted Erwin with a sigh. "I really can't. I'll make a bargain with you, Levi. I'll do what I can to give you more time with them before they get taken into custody. However, I want to be the first to know the moment you find out anything of significance. Share the information with no-one else until you and I can discuss it."

"Heh, just like back in the old days," mused Levi. How many times in the past had he and Erwin sat up late, plotting and strategizing together? How many times had the man come to him first, before sharing his plans with anyone else. "All right, I think that's fair. I can't promise they'll 'come back' soon enough even with borrowed time, but if they do, they'll talk to me."

"For all our sakes, I hope so. You may be the only one that can convince them to testify against Satellite Core as well, regardless of what memories get returned to them."

Levi suppressed a grimace. As he'd mentioned a moment ago, Farlan and Isabel might soon recall their own deaths. Old guilt tore into him, along with that helpless feeling of rage he'd suffered back then. He'd failed them both. They might feel that way too, and he couldn't blame them if they did. Could an old friendship from another life withstand the bitterness of remembering that? Levi had immediately blamed Erwin when it happened, but he then realized that he himself was more to blame for them being there to get killed in the first place.

"Levi? Are you still there?"

Levi pulled himself out of his dark thoughts. "Yes, I'm still here. Look, Erwin, I'm going to do my best, but there's a chance they'll be just as mad at me as anyone, when they get their memories back."

Erwin was silent on the other line, and when he spoke again, there was a sort of quiet comprehension in his voice. "I see."

Levi sighed. Of course, he saw. The man knew him better than anyone else, including Eren. Levi was trying to open up more to his lover; to give him what Erwin already had thanks to years of fighting, strategizing and intimacy together. He began to wonder if he was doing Eren a disservice by constantly trying to keep him out of conflict, constantly trying to shield him.

"Shit."

"Levi, you're allowing your old guilt to influence your thoughts on this," Erwin said gently. "Your friends joined Survey Corps with you so that they could be at your side and help you. As I recall, you told me you even discouraged them from going on that expedition, but they insisted. Don't go into this apologetically. Give them no reason to feel resentment, and stay confident. You did what you had to do, and so did they."

"Well, that's a nice sentiment. I'll keep it in mind." Levi didn't tell him that his utterance of one of his favorite profanities was related to Eren, and not the situation with Isabel and Farlan. "I'd better get off the line with you and get started with these two. I'm sure you've got things to do, yourself."

"Of course," said Erwin. "If I don't succeed in buying you some extra time, I'll notify you. Just do the best you can until then, Levi."

"I will, no question. Talk to you later, chief."

Levi ended the call, and he braced himself mentally before putting his phone back into his pocket and opening the sliding glass door to come back in off the balcony. Farlan and Isabel looked up at him, having just finished their meals. Neither of them looked like they had any thrill of recognition on their faces yet. In fact, they looked sullen.

"Stop pouting," advised Levi. "If what we've told you so far isn't enough to convince you that this is for your own good, the return of your memories will, soon enough."

"We haven't been brainwashed, asshole," said Farlan through clenched teeth. "I don't know what sort of things you've heard about Satellite Core, but they don't have some kind of mind control procedure to turn us all into drones. We joined of our own free will."

"Ah, but if you _did_ have false memories, you wouldn't know whether that's really true or not," Hange pointed out, pausing her whispered conversation with Moblit. "That wasn't what the tiny captain meant, though. There are other memories buried deep in your minds…memories of another time that not even the BRS or Satellite Core could touch."

Isabel frowned at Hange. "Lady, you are nuts!"

"What _sort_ of memories?" asked Farlan, suddenly troubled.

Levi watched the blond closely, recognizing that look on his face. It told him that Farlan was starting to believe what he was hearing, and he was trying to work out how it was possible.

"Well, it's not going to sound any saner to you, but memories of a past life. Look at him," she nodded at Levi, "and tell me he's not the least bit familiar to you both. I heard you make a remark about it earlier, Isabel."

The pair looked at Levi again automatically, and while Isabel still maintained that stubborn, angry expression on her girlish little face, Farlan's attractive features relaxed into a thoughtful expression.

"Maybe I've just seen him around somewhere before," Farlan excused. He shrugged. "So what?"

"I've never been to this country before." Levi held the other man's stare, silently willing him to remember something, anything, about their past lives.

Farlan turned his wrists in the cuffs to ease some of the pressure on them. "So maybe I saw someone that looks like you. Big deal."

Eren snorted. "Nobody looks like Levi."

Levi raised a brow at his lover, and Eren hastily excused himself with a blush. "Uh, I'm going to go and get some refreshment. Captain, do you want some tea?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah. Bring some hot chocolate for Isabel and some hot cider for Farlan, if you can get your hands on it."

Both of the captives widened their eyes with surprise, glancing at one another. They didn't ask aloud how Levi knew about their favorite drinks—possibly because they figured if he could find out where they lived and who they worked for, he could find that out, too.

"Right. I'll be back in a little while." Eren left then, shutting the door behind him.

Without taking his eyes off of Farlan and Isabel respectively, Levi spoke to Hange. "Go get your laptop. Show these two some of the footage you have on file of the titan experiments. If they don't already know about it, they need to."

Farlan tensed, but Isabel looked convincingly ignorant. Levi narrowed his eyes at the blond man, suspecting he'd already seen or at least heard about the titan project. "What's the problem? Sound familiar to you, Farlan?"

Farlan hardened his expression and he shook his head.

"Have it your way. Hange, get the laptop."

"Good idea," approved the scientist eagerly. "I'll be right back!"

Hange took the same exit as Eren, leaving only Moblit and Levi in the room with their two captives. Levi looked at Moblit. Maybe hearing a former BRS personnel's account might buffer the shock of what they were going to witness, a little. "Why don't you tell them a little more about your own experience, Moblit? Tell them what you saw when you were with the BRS, and tell them what happened during the raid you got caught up in."

Moblit took a deep breath, and he nodded. "Yes sir."

* * *

While Eren was downstairs looking for the requested beverages, he overheard Historia talking on the phone with someone. He was just heating up the cider he'd found when she walked pas the kitchen through the corridor.

"What are you talking about?" Historia demanded of the person on the other line. "Just what are you planning this time? Don't try to act fatherly with me now, after all these years! What are you going to do to my city! I'm not going anywhere until I know the truth!"

Eren didn't mean to eavesdrop, but he paused with the cup holder in his hand, with the cup of cider hovering over it. After a moment, Historia responded to something the other party said.

"So that's all you will tell me? Where are you now? I see, you won't even tell your 'daughter' that much. I mean it, I'm not budging until you tell me—"

Her words were suddenly cut off, and she cursed so vilely that Eren's brows flew up. Historia paused in the open archway, and her crystal-blue eyes met Eren's across the distance. Uncomfortable with the situation, Eren placed the cider cup in the carrier with the other beverages.

"Excuse me," he muttered. He was full of questions, because he knew she had to have been speaking with Rod Reiss. It wasn't his place to ask, though. He thought he would only make it worse, so he made his exit and he went back upstairs with the drinks.

* * *

"You've seen this before," Levi guessed as he watched Farlan's reactions to the footage on Hange's screen.

Farlan shook his head, still keeping his eyes on the screen. "Not this, exactly. I've seen contained specimens aboard the last Exo station I was on. They weren't moving, though. I thought they looked dead, and I didn't have the clearance to be let in on the details of what they were doing with them. I only saw a glimpse."

Isabel bore the expression of someone having a nightmare. "They were _human_? They…they turned _people_ into those things?" She started to shudder.

"Yes, that's exactly what they did," confirmed Hange. "And both of you have encountered these creatures before, in another life."

"You're full of…shit…" Farlan's pupils expanded, and he stared between the screen and Levi. He pressed his cuffed hands against his torso and he grimaced as if it pained him, his eyes going blank.

As Levi watched the dawning horror grow on his old friend and room-mate's face, he got a sinking feeling. Going by the way Farlan kept patting his torso with his bound hands as if checking to see if it was still there, Levi could guess what was going on in his mind.

"Farlan?" Isabel leaned toward him, reaching out with both hands to shake his shoulder. "Hey, are you all right?"

"He's remembering getting bitten in half," Levi said bluntly, watching the blond man closely. "Aren't you?"

"Damn, Levi…and you say I'm tactless," muttered Hange.

Levi looked up at her. "Leave us alone for a few minutes, Hange. You too, Moblit."

Eren came in at that moment, carrying a tray of drinking cups. "Okay, I think I got everything you requested, Levi. I need to talk to you for a minute, though."

"It will have to wait, Eren," said Levi. He nodded at the coffee table. "Leave the drinks here and go with Hange and Moblit, please. I need a few minutes alone with these two."

Eren looked between Levi and the two captives, a frown tugging at his lips. "But it's kind of important...uh, okay." One look at Levi's cool, commanding expression quelled his argument. He set the drink tray down, shot his lover a puzzled glance and then followed Moblit and Hange out the door.

Once they were alone, Levi reached into his jacket pocket for the keys to the cuffs, given to him by Moblit and Hange. He gave his two companions a warning look as he bent over them one at a time to unlock their handcuffs. "One false move, and these go back on. I'm not playing with you and I think you both know that."

Isabel rubbed her wrists as the cuffs fell away, and she looked at Farlan. The blond man was still patting his torso, his mouth twisted into a grimace and his face pale and greenish. "Bro, are you going to be sick?"

"I...y-yeah. I need something to—"

Levi hastily grabbed the wastepaper bin near the right side of the bed, and he handed it to Farlan. The blond's shoulders abruptly tensed as he stuck his head into the container and started to heave.

"Sorry that's the first memory you got back," Levi said, his tone colored with a faint tint of regret. "That happens, sometimes."

"I don't get it." Isabel patted Farlan's back in concern as the man threw up stomach juices, having already digested the tonic he'd drank earlier and most of the stew Eren had brought him. "What's this guy talking about, Farlan?"

Caught up in heaving, Farlan could only grunt in response.

"I'm talking about the last memory he had of his previous life," explained Levi. His brows pinched slightly, then smoothed out. "Sucks to be the first one to come back to him, but it can't be helped."

"Y-you," Farlan managed after the spasms eased up. He looked at Levi. "You were coming for me. You had a green cape, and you were...flying...somehow. You had these big-ass swords. One of those...titans...was putting me into its mouth. Isabel was already..."

Farlan choked, and tears filled his eyes as he glanced at the petite redhead.

Horror paled the young woman's features. "No way. Farlan, it's a trick!"

Levi produced a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his black denim jacket, and he offered it to Farlan with a grim shake of his head. "No. It's not a trick. Here, clean yourself up. I'll take care of this." He took the waste bin from Farlan, and he got up to place it by the door to be taken to the restroom and rinsed out later. Odds were, it would soon be needed again. When he came back and had a seat in the armchair near the bed, Isabel was hugging Farlan around the waist, still trying to convince him it was just some hoax.

"It's not a hoax," Farlan rasped. He took the cup of cider Levi offered to him with shaking hands. He sniffed the brew, and he met Levi's gaze again. "Cider is my favorite."

Levi handed over Isabel's coco to her, and he took his own beverage and leaned back in the chair, crossing his legs. "Yeah. I remember. Drink your coco, Isabel. It'll help."

Isabel's wide green eyes fixated on the cup she held between her two hands. Two little marshmallows floated in the steamy, chocolaty drink. "What are you trying to play, here?"

"I'm not playing," reminded Levi, dead serious. "You might not believe it right now, but the three of us used to live together in the underground, far beneath the surface of the walled territories."

"Yeah, right," she sniffed, refusing to take a drink from the mug. "I'll bet this is drugged just like that last horrible drink you gave us."

"I've got no reason to drug you," assured the agent. "You're lucid enough. You've already drank Hange's brew. You might need something for anxiety later on, but for now, I think the coco will be enough. Drink it, little cardinal. Stop being a brat."

Isabel stiffened. "'Cardinal'?" She looked sidelong at Farlan. "Did you blab about your nickname for me?"

Farlan shook his head, sipping gratefully at his hot cider. "No. Isabel...I believe him now. I don't think he's lying to us."

Her mouth fell open. "You can't be _serious_! This asshole abducted us and forced us to swallow down some kind of trip drink!"

"Isabel," Levi said softly, "do you still speak with animals?"

Her big green eyes shot to Levi, and she hesitated.

"Yes or no?" he prompted.

"Nobody can talk to animals," she huffed, nearly pouting.

Levi smirked. "That's what I used to tell you all the time, but you insisted that you could. So how about it? Can you still tell what they're thinking?"

"I...that's..."

"How many injured birds have you rescued and nursed back to health?" Levi pressed ruthlessly.

"She does that shit all the time," offered Farlan, amazement plain in his tone. He looked at the redhead beside him. "She's always bringing home strays, especially birds. What was the last one, a sparrow?"

"It was a finch," corrected Isabel in exasperation. Apparently realized she'd just admitted to something she didn't want Levi to confirm, she narrowed her eyes on him. "I don't know how, but you just made a lucky guess. I still don't believe you."

"That's too bad," Levi said with a shrug, "because all I'm trying to do here is help the two of you, and help prevent another titan disaster from happening. You saw the footage, brat. You got a taste of what they could do, and now Farlan remembers the biggest part of his own past experience with them."

"And you tried to save us," Farlan reiterated, speaking to Levi.

The former scout captain sighed, and he gave a nod of his dark head. "Yes. I tried to save you both, but I didn't make it on time."

"I remember." Farlan rubbed his forehead with his free hand, and his voice was thick with emotion. "I remember the look in your eye as you were closing in, and I remember knowing you weren't going to get to me in time."

"S-stop it," Isabel choked. Her hands trembled harder, and she took a sloppy sip of her coco, apparently forgetting she'd sworn not to drink it.

"I can't," gasped Farlan. "I remember it too clearly!"

"You said I was already...something," Isabel demanded. "You didn't finish your sentence. What was I 'already', if you think any of this is real?"

Farlan met her eyes, and the agony in his gaze made Levi's throat tighten. "Dead," supplied Farlan at last, after a quiet pause. "You were already dead when they got me."

A tremor shook Isabel, and her lower lip quivered. She was remembering something, Levi was sure of it. "How did I die? If all this isn't some trick, am I going to remember my death, too?"

"Not necessarily." Levi couldn't suppress a grimace. "You'll likely just recall the last moments of your life and then nothing after that point. Your death happened to quick for you to even realize it. Your head was all that was left of you when I came, so when the titan bit down, it decapitated you. Farlan's death wasn't as immediate."

If Isabel's eyes were wide before, they were even more so now. "You're crazy!"

"Am I?" Levi's heavy-lidded gaze held hers. "Or are you just too scared to admit you're remembering something?"

"I...I..." she lowered her eyes, and she stared into the swirling, steamy contents of her mug. "We were on some kind of ramparts, overlooking a city. The moon was out. It was the three of us, together."

She looked up from her mug, and her gaze flicked between Farlan and Levi. "Is that real?"

"Yes." Levi's voice gentled somewhat as he recalled that moment himself. "It was real. It was one of the few peaceful moments we all had together."

"You smiled." Isabel's confused, expressive eyes met Levi's again. "I wasn't used to seeing Big Bro smile like that. Oh my god...oh my _gawd_! B-Big Bro!"

"That's what you used to call me," confirmed Levi with a nod. " _'Big Bro'_. It drove me fucking mental, but I put up with it."

Recalling that one, peaceful little moment in time seemed to trigger a slew of other memories for Isabel, and she began to babble out recollections of them as Farlan and Levi stared at her. "You guys saved me from those merchant goons! No telling what they would have done to me if they'd gotten their hands on me. I had a wounded bird, and Farlan helped me splint its wing. Oh shit, I just remembered the time I bit that MP in the nose when he grabbed me. Farlan tackled him before he could catch me again. That was before Big Bro came. Hey Levi, do you remember..."

She went on and on, asking them if their memories fit the ones she was getting back. Farlan evidently hadn't regained most of them himself, and he kept giving confused shakes of his head. Levi, however, was able to confirm each and every one she'd regained that he had personally been a part of.

"You wouldn't eat," accused Isabel with a frown, stabbing an accusing finger at Levi. "You kept saying you'd be fine, and I needed the food more than you did so my growth wouldn't get stunted."

Levi glanced away, uncomfortable as always with the subject of himself committing charitable actions—no matter who the recipient was. "Maybe I just wasn't hungry."

"Don't feed me that bullshit," she railed. "You were starving just like the rest of us, but every other meal, you gave up your portion for me and Farlan. You..."

She sniffed, and she wiped at her nose and looked down at her folded legs. "You used to...ruffle my hair when I'd try to get you to eat."

Levi leaned forward on impulse, and he reached out to gruffly ruffle her hair in his customary gesture of subtle affection. "You mean like this?"

Isabel squinted a little, and then she nodded. "Yeah. Just like that." She sniffed again, and then she wailed: "Big Bro!"

The next thing Levi knew, Isabel had dropped her coco on the floor and lunged at him. He grunted as her petite frame crashed into his, nearly knocking him and the chair over backwards. He immediately started to push her away out of sheer instinctive response to such sudden, un-asked for contact, but Isabel would have none of it. She clutched at his jacket and started crying against his hair, blubbering nonsense into his ear. Levi stopped pushing at her, and he began to slowly stroke her hair in an awkwardly comforting manner.

"Easy, kid. You're safe."

Farlan spoke up then. "Not for long. None of us are. Levi, what time is it?"

Levi pulled his right arm free to take a look at his watch, and he gave Farlan the time.

"Shit," spat the blond. "Look, I'm still confused as hell, but I think you should know we need to get out of here as soon as possible. It might be too late already, but we can't stay in this city."

Still holding Isabel's shaking, crying form in his arms, Levi narrowed his eyes at the other man. "What are you talking about?"

The pallor returned to Farlan Church's face as he answered the question grimly. "They're coming. We've already lost over half the allotted safe time to evacuate. I'm serious, Levi. If you mean it when you say you're trying to help stop this conflict, then we've all got to get out of here before it's too late."

* * *

Outside in the hallway, Hange leaned against the wall and listened thoughtfully to what Eren said concerning what he'd overheard downstairs. "So Papa Reiss is trying to urge his estranged princess to get clear of this metropolis," she whispered at last, frowning. "I wonder what exactly he's got planned. If he knows Eren is here, then we've either got another mole in our ranks, or Historia herself isn't as trustworthy as Erwin thought."

When both of them looked at Moblit, he held his hands up. "I had nothing to do with it! I've been on your side since day one of my first recollection, so please don't even go there."

"How can we be so sure of that?" reasoned Eren. "Even with your past life memories restored, you might still resent us enough to turn me in...or you might be scared enough to—"

"I believe you, Moblit," interrupted Hange. "What has _me_ concerned is that all of our meddling in enemy data banks might have been the culprit. Satellite Core has already proven how tricky they can be. In our haste to try and locate Rod Reiss, we may have overlooked something and allowed the teensiest little crack in our data defenses to leak enough information for them to track our location."

"Oh." Eren scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Sorry, Moblit. I'm just a little freaked out over hearing half the conversation between Historia and her dad."

Moblit shrugged forgivingly. "I can't really blame you for being suspicious and questioning my loyalty. Hange, do you really think that's what happened?"

She sighed and spread her hands. "It's one of several possibilities, and it's just as plausible as a hidden spy. We've been all but frantic to find this asshole. _'It only takes one careless moment to buttfuck the whole operation'_ , as Levi would say."

Eren took a deep, calming breath. "Okay, well whatever they're planning, we must have at least a little time. Otherwise Reiss wouldn't have called his daughter to try and get her out of the city, right? We should tell the captain about this. I tried earlier, but he wasn't in a listening mood."

"You need to harden your balls, kiddo," Hange stated with a smirk. "Sometimes you just have to ignore that scary glare of his and punch the point straight home. As his lover, you'll need to learn to do that eventually. Don't worry, though; I'll tell him now."

Hange twisted the doorknob and cracked the door open, ignoring Eren's soft warning that maybe they should just wait. She poked her head in, started to say something, and then saw Levi cradling a sobbing Isabel in his lap. Her resolve failed her, and her red-brown eyes softened at the sight of it. Biting her lip, she quietly closed the door again .

"Let's just give them a couple more minutes," advised Hange in a whisper. "That little bit of time won't make a difference. This is an important moment between very old friends."

Eren and Moblit both sighed, but neither of them argued.

* * *

"Isabel, calm down," Levi urged as calmly as he could. "I know it's overwhelming, but now isn't the time for you to have a complete meltdown. Farlan, what's coming? What does the Core have planned for this place?"

Farlan shook his head. "I don't know, man. I wasn't given the details. All they told me was that they were going to be bombarding Westenfeld within twenty-four hours. The exo station they're sending isn't typically used as a combat base, so my guess is they plan to send a pulse wave, maybe. They're after some fugitive they found out was here, and they plan to use this bombardment as a distraction to force this person's allies to...hey, Levi? You okay?"

Levi's jaw had clenched, and a killing look had come into his eyes, making them flash like the deadly, folded steel of his pairing blades. "I'm fine. Thank you, Farlan, for sharing this. So, now Satellite Core is not only getting more directly involved in this, but they're taking it out on the civilian population."

Farlan grimaced, and Isabel went pale. She twisted in Levi's lap to look at her partner with pleading eyes. "You had to have misunderstood, Farlan. They wouldn't go that far!"

"I wish I didn't hear them right," said Farlan tensely, "but I asked for clarification twice. It looks like they'd go that far after all, to get whoever the BRS is after. All I can say for sure is that there's a silent evacuation going on right now for all SC and BRS personnel in this area. Isabel, you and I were supposed to be out of here and way out of range, by now."

"Silent evacuation?" Levi's thin brows drew together severely. "So they weren't even going to send any sort of warning to the civilian population at all."

"Well, if they're trying to capture this fugitive, that would have given the heads-up," Isabel pointed out, wiping her eyes. "It makes a creepy kind of sense. Shit, what should we do?"

Levi got up abruptly, dumping poor Isabel on the floor without ceremony. He began to stride towards the door leading to the hallway, but then Hange burst in with Historia, Ymir, Eren and Moblit at her back.

"Levi! I'm sorry to break up the family reunion, but we've got big problems!"

"I already know," he told her as the group piled into the room. He helped Isabel off the floor, not bothering to apologize to her. "Farlan got warning just before we detained them. Someone's got to get word to the town mayor so he can order an evacuation, immediately."

"I'm not leaving our hostel," Historia said with feeling.

Ymir turned and she cupped the smaller young woman's face in her hands. "It's just a _building_ , cute stuff. If your old man sent warning, then he means business. Our lives are more important."

Historia shuddered, and her pale blue eyes were alight with strong emotions—anger seemingly the primary one. "That bastard. Agent Ackerman, I don't know exactly what they have planned, but after some discussion, we agreed to tell you. If nothing else, you should take Mr. Jaeger and get out of here. Maybe if they know he isn't here, they'll call off the attack."

"That isn't going to work," predicted Eren with a sympathetic look at her.

"Wait, _he's_ the one they're after?" Farlan said, pointing at Eren. "This guy?"

"Uh-huh," confirmed Hange before Levi could stop her. "He's got the golden DNA that's key to their plans, apparently. Levi, I think Historia might be onto something. If they're tracing us and they figure out that Eren's not in the vicinity any longer, the civilian population might be spared whatever they have planned."

"He said something about—" Historia began, but then the room was cast into shadow as if the clouds in the sky outside suddenly rolled in to produce a thunderstorm. "Oh! What's that?"

Historia ran to the balcony sliding door without waiting for anyone to answer, and she pulled it open to step outside and look up. "Um...Agent Ackerman?"

Levi cursed under his breath, and he joined her outside. The others soon came out behind him and they all stared skywards. A familiar, monstrous form was descending from the heavens, blotting out the sunlight and casting Westenfeld in shadow.

"The Star Kraken," muttered Hange, behind and to the right of Levi. "I recognize that exo station."

"Shit," Moblit gasped. "Oh, shit!"

"They're here too soon," Farlan exclaimed. "We should still have ten more hours, at least!"

"Looks like they didn't want anyone giving away the surprise party," guessed Levi absently. He studied the gigantic sub-space station, wondering where its weaknesses were and how they could be exploited. "Doesn't look like your old man cared much whether you made it out of here or not, Historia. That sucks."

She shook her pale golden head, looking agonized as she beheld what was coming down on her hometown. "Oh, that bastard! I tried to get his location, but he wouldn't give it away! I hate him...I hate him _so much_!"

Ymir embraced the smaller woman from behind, and she spoke in a low voice. "Stop it. There's nothing to do for it now. We have to get out of here, Hist."

"Too late for that," guessed Levi. He turned to face the young women. "Is there a cellar or basement under this place? Oi, Historia! Snap out of it and answer me."

Historia seemed to shake herself out of a daze, and she nodded. "There's a cellar. It's just a wine cellar, but—"

"Then get yourselves and everyone staying here down their immediately," Levi suggested. "By the looks of the traffic pile up in the streets, nobody without air transport is getting the fuck out of here anytime soon."

"But...there's something you should know," Historia quavered. "My father said—"

At once, the outer spokes of the huge exo station hovering over the city lit up. Something began to drop from them, giant capsules of some sort ejecting from the Star Kraken to fall towards the city. Levi narrowed his eyes, and he quickly reached for the foldable, compact binoculars he had in his jacket. He put them to his eyes and he peered through them. When he caught a glimpse of one of the capsules landing in the streets below and shattering, he frowned. Steam erupted, and then he saw a giant, mutated humanoid form rising from the misty obscurement. Levi slowly lowered the vision instrument, shaking his head. He knew his stoic mask was slipping, and a tremor of rage blended with fear went through him.

" _'Titan Drop'_ ," clarified Historia breathlessly. "My father said something about that. What does that mean, sir?"

Levi breathed in with deliberate slowness, and he exhaled before answering the question. His adrenaline was pumping, and he was starting to see red. And the media accused _his_ faction of being the terrorists. How ironic.

"It means," Levi said in a flat, dangerous tone, "that we are officially in deep shit, and so is every other poor bastard that lives in this city."

* * *

-To be continued


	36. Chapter 36

"Oh my god, what will we do?"

Historia was clamping her hands together, fingers tightly thread in distraught. Farlan and Isabel were both watching the titan bombardment with a blend of awe and fear. The latter of the two pointed out at the city as screams arose.

"B-big bro? I think they're eating people."

"Yeah," agreed Levi. He looked between Eren, Hange and the others. He turned to Ymir. "Is there a basement level to this place?"

Ymir nodded. "Yes."

"Then get yourselves, Mrs. Jaeger and everyone else in this place down there immediately." Levi looked to Hange. "Tell me you've got your gear packed, four eyes."

"Well yes, I do, but..." Hange's response was cut off by another titan drop and some screams. She clenched a fist. "Oh, motherfuck...this is not going to go well for him!"

"Concentrate, Hange." Levi gripped her shoulders, shrugging off Eren's poking finger. "We need to get everyone here to safety. Get strapped up."

"Uh, Levi?" Eren's bright gaze was pleading on the agent. "Let me help."

"No, you're too important." Levi started rattling off instructions to Moblit.

"No!" Eren inserted himself between his determined lover and others. "No, Levi. You can't fight this all on your own."

"You little...look, Eren, I have Eld and Petra on the other side of the city, as well as Mikasa and Jean. I also have Hange. Don't panic and just do as I say!"

"It's not enough!" Eren practically screamed in his lover's face, beyond fed up with being the rescue mission. "Please, Levi! Let me help. You know I can! You can't face all those titans alone, even with your skills! You can't guarantee civilian safety without me at your back! Use me, Levi...use me."

Levi suffered a moment of sheer terror. Should he let his lover go into battle, or should he protect him? In his unusual moment of doubt, he looked to Hange. She was crazy to the bone, but she also had a talent for quick thinking and pulling shit off at the last minute. She noticed his look, and she nodded.

"You should let Eren help. I think we're going to need as much assistance as we can get, Levi. The police in this city aren't going to be able to handle this. Even if they bring the military in, you know as well as I do that explosive shells have a limited effect on titans unless they blow the entire head and the nape off."

Levi looked back at Eren, who was staring at him plaintively. Below in the streets, people were starting to scream and run. A couple of cars collided with each other at the traffic light on the corner. It was quickly becoming chaos, and in the distance, Levi could see more gigantic forms rising up against the skyline. The titans hadn't even begun their destruction yet, and already their presence was creating mass panic. He'd seen this sort of thing too many times before in the previous life, and so had Eren and Hange.

"All right," he finally said flatly. "Eren, get your gear on. Stay close to me and Hange, and follow my orders. Don't engage any targets on your own unless you have absolutely no choice, do you understand?"

"Yes sir!"

Levi had never been a spiritual person, but he found himself praying inwardly. The logic behind this attack was troubling, and he couldn't help but think it was conducted specifically to flush Eren out. Perhaps they were counting on the kid to survive if he happened to get devoured. So far, Eren hadn't demonstrated any of the titan abilities he'd once had, save the coordinate.

~Or maybe they've just decided they don't need the fucking coordinate badly enough to keep trying to capture him. This really could just be a test to see how much damage they can do with their pet titans before they have to employ other methods to neutralize them.~

The fact that Rod Reiss waited so long to warn his own daughter of the operation didn't inspire confidence that the man hadn't completely lost his mind.

* * *

Erwin got word that Satellite Core had gone ahead with possibly the most heinous act of war imaginable. He'd had a hasty conversation with Levi, gotten what details he could and he immediately had heads together with Shadis and Pixis to move in and help deal with the threat. Unfortunately, their ETA wasn't going to timely. Levi and the few other titan slayers in Westenfeld with him were the city's best hope of limiting casualties until the UFI and military air forces could get there. Erwin did a mental head count, and he shook his head with a sigh. He looked over at Mike as the bigger blond climbed into the jet and buckled in.

"It doesn't look good. We haven't had the time to pull together a significant force of titan slaying specialists to deal with a threat of this magnitude."

Mike tugged on his ODM harness meaningfully. "As soon as we get there, I'll eject and help out with that."

"Actually, that's exactly what I have in mind for myself as well," Erwin informed him. "We'll find somewhere to land and we'll join our brethren defending people on the ground. The rest of the air forces should concentrate on breaching that exo station and disabling it from doing further damage."

Mike frowned at him. "You sure you should be doing that, boss? You haven't had a lot of field time in the ODM gear. Maybe you should stick with piloting."

Erwin regarded him coolly. "Are you saying you doubt I can cut it in my gear, Mike?"

"I'm saying you'd probably be more useful in this jet," answered Mike calmly. "Just pointing out what I see as a flaw in your plan. Keep the gear on, sure. Better to have it just in case. Just don't be rash and try something we all might regret."

Erwin faced the console again, troubled. Mike did make a good point. He had all of his memories back and he could operate the ODM gear, but his titan encounters so far were minimal in this life, and he hadn't been using the gear the way the others had.

"Very well, we'll try it your way," Erwin muttered at last.

Sometimes, it was difficult to reconcile his previous life memories with his present life ones. His sense of duty was more or less the same, but the roles he took in his duties were quite different. He felt like he should be down there with his people, either fighting against the titans at their sides or strategically commanding them. His expertise in this life was in the air, however, when he wasn't behind a desk. He supposed the latter was more like his old duty as commander of the scouts.

* * *

"ETA for air backup is close to an hour," Eld informed Petra and the others once he got off the phone with Levi. "They're coming as soon as they can, but until then, it looks like titan damage control is going to be up to us."

Reiner was staring out the window at the chaos below in the streets, his normally stoic expression cracking. As one of the few that hadn't partaken of the memory tonic, he had no clear recollection of the previous life. By the look on his face, however, he did recognize the titans to some degree.

"This is a fucking nightmare," stated the muscular blond.

"Get away from the windows," Mikasa ordered. She turned to Eld and she saluted him. "Sir! permission to engage."

Eld looked slightly startled. He gave her a nod, and he glanced at Petra. The ginger was already busy buckling up her ODM gear. "Yeah. We've got no choice. The rest of you should—"

"I want to help." Sasha had stiffened her back, and a coldly serious look came over her. "Do you have extra gear, sir?"

Eld hesitated. "Yeah, but—"

"Let us help!" Connie supplied, coming up beside Sasha.

"Hey, you guys are civilians, reminded Eld uncomfortably. "I appreciate it, but Mikasa and Jean are the only ones who've been trained."

Armin took a deep breath, and he joined his friends with a determined expression. "I know how it must look to you, but we really _do_ know how to fight these things, sir. I'm with Connie and Sasha. If you have the gear to spare, please lend it to us."

Eld exchanged a look with Petra. Things just did not seem to occur normally, lately. "I can't just toss some gear at you guys and—"

The window shattered at that moment, broken by a gigantic hand. Eld dove for the floor and so did the rest. He heard the band's roadie shout a curse in the background, and when he twisted around to look, he saw Petra struggling in the grip of that oversized hand. Mikasa was immediately on the attack before Eld could even say or do anything, and he watched with wide eyes as the bassist emitted a challenging shout and went in with both blades flashing. Eld wasn't even sure when she'd suited up, but he was immediately grateful for her quick reactions when Mikasa sliced through the fingers holding Petra and freed her.

"We have to get moving," Jean shouted, scowling at the oversized, grinning face that appeared in the busted window. "Connie, Sasha! Hop to!"

Eld scrabbled over to Petra, who was now kneeling in a clutter of glass and clutching her chest in shock. Reiner somehow got knocked out cold, and he was sprawled face-down a couple feet away. "Hey, are you all right?"

She nodded, shooting a glance around at their now scrambling comrades. "I think if they want to try and help, we should let them. I almost pooped myself, just now."

Eld nearly said that they shouldn't panic and make rash decisions, but then Jean and Mikasa ran past him to engage the titan that was now reaching around with bloody stumps where its fingers had once been. He looked at Armin, noted his angry blue glare at the creature, and he decided that even though he didn't understand it, this rock band was capable of at least putting up a fight. Reiner had grabbed hold of the titan's wrist, and the big blond slid across the floor with a mouth full of curses as he tried to wrestle the gigantic thing into submission.

"Shit...all right," Eld concluded. At least if they were all wearing gear, they had a chance. "Petra, get the gear ready! Help them get it on."

She was already rushing for their pack of belongings. Meanwhile, Jean and Mikasa put up a furious attack against the opponent. Eld joined them, blades flashing in the sunlight as he yelled and shot his grapplers directly into the cheekbones of the titan looming outside.

* * *

"Wait...Levi, wait!"

The small, dark-haired agent stopped his charge and he looked back at Hange impatiently. "What is it?"

Hange had pulled out her phone, and she was staring wide-eyed at the screen of it. "Oh shit...Oh fucking shit!"

Eren swung back, using his ODM gear to carry him. "What's the matter?"

Hange glanced up from her phone, her red-brown gaze flicking between her two male companions. "Annie just texted me. Something's happening in TV."

Levi glared at her. "I don't care what anyone's watching on the fucking television."

"No, you little twit!" Hange waved her arms, nearly tossing her cellphone. "I'm talking about Tarsus Valley! They're dropping titans down there, too!"

Levi's eyes briefly widened, and then narrowed. "We can't do anything about that right now. Put away the phone and focus on what you're doing right now, shitty glasses."

"They're attacking Tarsus?" Eren hurried over to Hange, and he looked at her phone. "What the hell?"

"I know! Fuck! Shit!" Hange made the action of strangulation, shaking her mobile like a rag doll. "Motherfucker!"

Levi was about to remonstrate the both of them, but a huge body crashed against the building they were on top off, and the captain drew his blades. "Damn it."

He started to run towards the threat, and he called out to Hange over his shoulder. "Quit fucking around with your phone and pay attention!"

"Oh, I'd love to," Hange shouted back, "But this is a big thing and...hey Levi, watch it!"

He spun in the air at the last minute, right as Hange hollered her warning. Narrowly missing the oversized hand slamming down on the roof, Levi twisted in the air, made a tactical shot with his gear and reversed his trajectory. He came back down spinning like a pinwheel, and a large chunk of titan flesh came away. The ten meter creature fell to the street, and Levi came in for a smooth landing before his two startled companions.

"We can't worry about Tarsus right now," he stated, absently wiping off his pairing blades. "We're here now and this city is under attack. Both of you, pull it together. Shit or get off the pot."

Hange's mouth was still hanging open. She looked at her phone again, and her gaze went from surprised to crazed. "Shit! I just lost reception!" She shook the device as if doing so might fix everything.

Levi didn't even attempt to censor his glare at her. "What are you so worried about? That bitch isn't worth the time."

Hange looked at him, looked at the phone, then looked at Eren. "Well, she's been a good helper in this life. Sue me for giving a damn." She pocketed the phone, and she checked her gear. "You're right, though. We have more pressing matters. Oh look, a new target!"

Hange charged past Levi before he could even begin to come up with a response. He whirled on his feet and watched as the screaming scientist put her grapplers right through the staring eyes of a twelve meter titan and then launched herself at it with shocking enthusiasm.

"She's even crazier now than she was before," muttered Levi, and he prepared to assist her. He heard Eren coming up behind him, and he tried to stifle his fear for the singer's well being.

* * *

Eren kept pace with his companions, mainly focusing on hamstringing their targets to assist in the kills. With each one, however, he delved further and further into past memories. The terrified faces of civilians staring out of windows flashed by him, and Eren felt increasing anger and frustration.

 _~You devoured my mother. You crushed our home! You took everything from all of us!~_

The rage burned within him, and he wasn't even aware of it as his eyes began to glow yellow.

 _~Why can't you just leave us alone?!~_

He heard a scream...didn't even realize it was coming from his own throat. As he swooped down behind Levi, he drew his blades at the twelve meter titan and just started hacking. Hot, steaming blood splashed him. Eren kept slicing. He was yelling multiple curses as he carved up the titan, and he didn't recognize the raw fury of his own voice.

"Eren! Enough!"

He didn't react immediately to that beloved voice. He was furious. He kept cutting and cutting, and only when the strong arms embracing him from behind actually squeezed the breath from him did he come back to his senses. Levi was speaking into his ear, his voice low but urgent.

"Stop it, shit-head. Stop. Let it go. Let it go, Eren."

Eren's strength gave out, and he collapsed in a heap of torn flesh and blood. His lover was embracing him tightly from behind. He bowed his head, and he sobbed helplessly.

"Why...why can't they just...leave us alone?"

Levi's voice was strong, gentle, reassuring. "Because it's all they know to do, kiddo. Easy. Calm down."

Eren relaxed against the man holding him from behind, and he just started crying.

* * *

Levi held Eren tightly, murmuring commandingly but reassuringly to him. This was what he'd been afraid of. This was what he'd predicted. He heard a mindless groan, and he looked up with an exasperated grunt at the fifteen meter titan bearing down on them. The dim-witted creature was stomping eagerly towards them between skyscraper buildings, and a glistening line of drool dangled from it's thick lips.

"Hange?" Levi said simply, not loosening his hold on his lover.

She grinned madly, drawing her blades. "I'm on it, shrimp."

No matter how unstable he felt she was, Levi had no doubts about her abilities. He kept speaking reassuringly into Eren's ear as he watched her take off. Hange had her own unique style, just like him. While Levi tended to slice into his enemies with surgical precision, Hange ironically went after them like a fucking sledgehammer. She shouted insults at the titan as she went in, and she screamed like a banshee the entire time. As out of control as she seemed, the woman clearly knew what she was doing and she taunted her opponent when it tried and failed to grab her.

"Not fast enough," screamed Hange with a laugh, and then she closed in gleefully to carve out the weak spot.

"Nice," Mumbled Levi when the huge body dropped.

Hange rode it down with a smug grin, like she'd just painted her front door a flattering color. She jogged over to Levi and Eren, and her smile faded into a look of worry.

"Eren? Are you okay, darling?"

Eren seemed to have regained some of his senses. He wiped at his eyes, leaning back against Levi's supportive embrace. "Yeah. I'm okay." He hiccuped, and he looked up at Hange with tear-bright, luminescent eyes. "Sorry. I lost it for a second."

She fluffed his hair gently. "You've always had a rotten temper, puppy. It's okay."

Levi loosened his protective hold on the younger man. "You okay or what?"

Eren sniffled a bit, and he turned to look at Levi with a blatantly contrite expression. "Yeah. Sorry, Captain. I just...got pissed."

Levi sighed, and he let go of Eren completely to stand up. He offered his hand to the singer. "Don't do that shit again, brat. Keep your head."

Eren looked appropriately contrite as he accepted Levi's help and stood up. He nodded. "I'll do better, sir."

Levi studied him for a moment. "You'd better." He released Eren's hand, and he reached up and back to undo the clasp holding the chain of his pendant together. Ignoring the screams, sirens and titan groaning around him, he took off his chain and he offered it to Eren. "Here."

Eren stared at the offered pendant. "You're giving this to me?"

Levi flushed a bit, and he chose to ignore Hange's little gasp of delight. He could see her clasping her hands with joy out the corner of his eye. "Yeah. Consider it a promise, shitty brat. Just be more careful."

"Oh my gawd, Levi," Hange spouted, "did you just fucking propose to your baby?"

"Shut up," he muttered crossly, annoyed by the interference.

"MY BABIES ARE GETTING ENGAGED! Oh...oh shit, hold on a minute. I'll be right back."

Both Eren and Levi stared as Hange took off screaming, sprinting towards another titan that had come around the block. She engaged it before the poor bastard even had the chance to hone in on them. She went flying with a hiss of canister gas, and her pairing blades briefly reflected the sun before it moved behind a cloud. The couple met one another's eyes, and Levi dropped the chain into Eren's palm. The singer lifted it almost reverently to secure it behind his neck, and he stared at Levi as he did it.

"I can't tell you what this means to me, Levi," Eren whispered.

"Just a necklace," muttered the captain, pink-faced. He rather wished he'd picked a better moment to offer it to Eren, but the idea had come to him so suddenly. Levi grunted as his taller companion grabbed him and hugged him tightly.

"I love you," murmured Eren against Levi's left ear. He kissed the spot lingeringly, and he rubbed Levi's back. "I've always loved you."

"Okay," Levi gasped, unsure of how to respond to that passionate declaration in such a situation. He patted Eren on the back uncertainly, and he pulled away. He looked into his lover's eyes searchingly. "You okay to keep going?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry for losing it, earlier."

Both men turned to keep going, and Levi sighed when he saw Hange standing there with a smitten look on her face. "Oi, moment's over, four eyes. Don't just stand there grinning."

"Oh. Right." Hange snapped herself out of it, and she dumped her dulled blades on the concrete to replace them with a fresh set from her reserves. "Let's carve up some titans."

* * *

By the time Erwin and the other airborne squads arrived, the city was a wreck. Black smoke rolled up from several structures in the distance. Some fires were due to gas lines breaking, and some were caused by human error. Erwin's jet passed over a trio of skyscrapers and he looked down to see a squadron of police officers firing uselessly at a ten meter class titan. He clenched his jaw, feeling a stirring of anger. Every part of him wanted to be down there on the ground, fighting alongside his fellow former scouts to defeat the invading creatures. He had a different role to take in this conflict, though. Hovering high above the city was the gigantic exo station, and allegedly Rod Reiss was somewhere on board.

"Mike, are you ready to eject?"

"Yeah, I'm ready, chief."

Erwin flipped a switch, and he checked his safety harness to be assured he was properly secured and wouldn't get ripped out of his seat when his companion departed. "Then deploy. Good luck, and try not to get devoured."

"Shit, I'm never going through _that_ again, if I can help it." Mike snorted, and he gave Erwin a nod as he tightened the straps holding his sunglasses in place. A moment later, he hit the emergency eject button of the copilot seat. The top popped open and Mike shot out. Erwin flipped the switch to close it back up, blond locks whipping in the wind. He turned his aircraft onto its side, and the two jets flanking him followed his new trajectory. Erwin saw Mike diving toward the streets below, trailing exhaust fumes from his maneuver gear. That was all Erwin got to see before his Deputy Director was out of sight, swallowed up by the buildings lining the streets.

* * *

"Eld!"

Petra screamed the name of her comrade when he shoved her out of harm's way and got snatched up himself. She had a horrible mental image of him getting bitten in half and spat back out, and she suffered a fit of pure rage. With a grunt, she activated the turbo boost on her gear and she shot towards the titan that had captured her coworker. Snarling, the small ginger started cutting for all she was worth. Her blades were dulled from previous kills and assists, but she had no time to replace them with a fresh pair. Sheer determination and adrenaline-spiked strength allowed her to tear jaggedly into the monster's rough flesh.

She was desperate. She was terrified. Most of all, though, Petra Ral was _angry_. None of their other companions were close enough to make it in time. Mikasa was dispatching a larger titan somewhere behind and to the right. Connie and Sasha were teamed up against a seven meter, and Jean was directing some civilians into the subway system for safety. It was purely up to Petra to return the favor to Eld and save his ass.

She saw his wide, terrified eyes as she sped past him, hacking and slashing at the titan's arm in her attempts to free him. She wasn't even aware of the aggressive growls issuing from her throat. Her mind was purely on forcing the creature to drop the blond man.

" _Let go of him_!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, and she dove for the titan's eyes, her bloodied blades leading.

There was a sick pop as she stabbed into the bulbous orbs, and she was up to her elbows in eyeball fluid and blood. She could taste the blood on her lips, and she spat the salty, burning mess out absently. Now blinded, the creature staggered. It loosened its hold enough on Eld for him to break free as the titan staggered into the local bookstore, half crushing the building.

Eld landed less than gracefully on the street, unable to deploy his grapplers in time to slow his fall. He cried out as he came down hard and rolled, trying to absorb the shock of impact as much as he could. Petra jumped away from her crippled target, keeping her focus on getting Eld out of harm's way. She hit the pavement running, leaving off on finishing the titan in favor of getting her companion to safety.

"Hold onto me!"

Eld embraced her with a pained grunt, and the pair sped away as Petra fired off her gear. The wires yanked them upwards, and they landed on the roof of the bakery across the street from the now wrecked bookstore and the stunned giant half-lying on it.

"Stay here," Petra advised Eld, feeling it was safe enough to leave him on the rooftop for a few moments. She saw that Jean was flying their way with his blades ready, and she hastily released the catch on her trigger mechanism to replace her scarred up blades. Once she attached a fresh pair, she prepared to deploy her ODM gear again to assist.

She never got the chance. Before either Jean or Petra could make it to the target, Mike came down from out of nowhere and he hit like a truck. She literally could not tell where the big blond man had come from. He just seemed to drop out of the sky, and his aggressive yell as he came in and sliced out the nape was almost as shocking as his sudden appearance. The titan went still quickly, and both Petra and Jean landed at its twitching feet just as Mike finished it off. He came in for a landing before them, and he calmly sheathed his blades.

"You okay?" asked Mike in a monotone, looking them both over.

Jean made a wild gesture at the fallen titan, and then at Mike. "Where...how...you just... _what the fuck_?"

"I'm right there with you," muttered Petra, wide eyed. She felt cheated. _She'd_ wanted to bring that bastard down, simply on principle. It would have been her most satisfying kill of the day, but Mike Zacharius had to swoop in and steal her thunder.

Unreasonably angered, Petra pointed a fresh pairing blade at the tall blond agent accusingly. "Hey, you stole my kill!"

Mike didn't seem impressed. He sheathed his blades, looked around and sniffed. "We've got two more heading this way." He nodded at Connie and Sasha with a little frown. "What the hell are they doing geared up?"

Mikasa landed nearby, and she answered the question before Petra or Jean could. "They wanted to help. They're holding their own, so far."

"With no training?" He knew that like himself, the pair had drank Hange's tonic and regained old memories. Still, it was a risky endeavor for them to be out fighting these things without any practice with the ODM gear.

Petra calmed herself. "I don't know how, but they already seem to know what they're doing with the gear. They've been a big help. Excuse me, I need to go and check on Eld."

With that said, she launched herself up onto the building rooftop where she'd left her romantic interest. Eld was clutching at his ankle with a grimace of pain, and Petra squatted before him with concern.

"Is it broken?"

Eld shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Just sprained." He sighed, and he offered her a weak smile. "You saved my ass, and don't take it the wrong way, but you looked damned cute doing it, too. I've never been so turned on."

Petra ogled him. "I've got blood and yuck all over me! Guys really do have a one-track mind."

Eld laughed, and he spread his hands. "It was supposed to be a compliment."

She sighed, but she smiled at him. He was going to be okay, even if he was out of the fight for now. "Come on. We'll have to put you with Reiner and the others, I suppose."

"Shit," sighed Eld.

"Don't fuss," scolded Petra. "You're injured. At least you can defend the civilians if anything happens. You don't need to be out here fighting these things in your condition, though."

"I guess that's fair enough," he conceded.

* * *

-To be continued


	37. Chapter 37

"Concentrate all fire on that exo station," ordered Pixis over the secure channel. "Breach the hull so that we can send agents in to capture our primary target."

Erwin frowned at that. They couldn't be certain that Reiss was truly on that particular station, and sending a team in was going to be risky. They were bound to have a strong security force on that vessel, and the allied forces weren't likely to have enough fighters to make up a large enough strike team to overwhelm them.

The more Erwin thought of the plan, the less feasible it seemed to him. He'd made a career in his past life of sacrificing wave after wave of men and women for humanity's cause. Though he was no less dedicated to his organization in this life than he'd been in the last, he wasn't quite as willing to sacrifice good soldiers unless it could not be avoided. Gunther evidently had issues with the plan as well, because his voice came through the frequency next.

"Why aren't we just trying to bring the big bastard down and call it a day? Trying to get inside that thing to go after one guy seems pretty risky."

Erwin knew why that wasn't an option, and he enlightened the other former scout. "Because the exo station is directly over the city. If it goes down, it has to be over an unpopulated area. Unless we can come up with a way to force it away from the city, we can't take that risk. Too many civilians could be crushed, and we want to handle this with as little structural damage to the area as possible."

"Besides, it would take a hell of a lot of firepower to bring that thing out of the sky," Nanaba's voice chimed in. "This is our only option, for now."

There was no arguing that point. The flight teams converged on their target, concentrating on weakening and breaching the hull. There wasn't time to plan for more than that, and Erwin had no idea how they were going to manage to round up the occupants of the floating monstrosity for arrest. It was still dropping gigantic capsules containing titans down on the city. The UFI director clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes on one of the sections of the vessel where the capsules were originating.

"Commander Pixis, I have an idea."

* * *

"They just keep coming!"

Eren assisted Levi in cutting down another titan, and he saw some red flares go up from the location of their allies on the other side of the city. He anchored himself to the side of a building next to his lover, and he snarled in frustration as another capsule came crashing down, right into the building across from them. Hange narrowly avoided getting crushed by it. She shot off through the air to the left just before the containment capsule hit, and Eren saw her jerk as a flying piece of rubble struck her in the back. Her trajectory was thrown off and she went tumbling to the street.

"Hange!" Eren went to her impulsively.

"Eren, look out!"

Levi's shout of warning was lost to the singer, as his only concern was for their comrade now lying sprawled and stunned in the street. Eren felt the hot breath of the titan bearing down on him, and only then did he realize how close it was. He twisted in the air with his blades drawn, eyes wide on the open maw lunging at him. The teeth snapped shut, falling short of him, and Eren saw a spray of blood erupt from the back of the creature's neck. A chunk of flesh flew away, and he caught sight of Levi's gracefully spinning form.

"Shit, that was close," muttered Eren as the twelve meter class stumbled and fell dead, a mere few feet away from where Hange lay.

"Pay more fucking attention to your surroundings, asshole," snapped Levi as the two of them came in for a landing near Hange. "The condition of me letting you participate in this is that you don't get your ass swallowed!"

Eren started to apologize for his error, but a round of gunshots from somewhere the next street over startled him to silence.

Levi looked in that direction as well with a frown. "The police are setting up perimeters around the city, trying to block the titans off from housing areas. Stupid bastards don't get it. A few barricades aren't going to stop these things and gunfire is useless except to blind them for a little while. From what I've seen, most of those guys are suck shots, too."

"They're scared, with good reason," Eren excused. "You can't really blame them for being unprepared for this."

"Tch. I guess that's a valid enough point." Levi sheathed his blades and he knelt before Hange, shaking her shoulder. "Hey four eyes, can you move?"

Hange groaned, and she lifted her head with obvious difficulty. "Fuck."

"Well, that's a start." Levi helped her to sit up. "Anything broken?"

"Only my pride." Hange winced, examining her torn sleeve and the road rash underneath it on her forearm. "I forgot how much scrapes can sting. Where's Eren?" There was a crack in the right lens of her glasses, and the left one was covered in dirt.

"I'm right here," supplied Eren. He wished he had a bottle of water to offer her when she coughed. "Are you okay, Hange?"

"I might be down for the moment, but I'm not out," she assured him. She removed her glasses and she wiped at them with her shirt. "Damn it…I just bought these, too."

"You should get your ass underground and bow out of the fight for now," Levi suggested.

She shook her head. "I'll be fine."

"Hey, your vision's compromised. Use your head…or what's left of it."

Hange finished wiping her glasses off, and she replaced them. She smirked at Levi. "I can still see through these, and I've got other senses. I'm still a scout at heart, grump. Just point me in the right direction and I'll take out anything in my path."

Eren heard the shift of rubble from behind them, and he looked back at the building that got partially crushed by the falling capsule. "Well, it looks like you've got at least one target to start with. That titan that just got dropped is breaking loose of its thingy."

"'Thingy'?" Hange snorted. "Sweetie, I'm going to need to teach you some scientific jargon. Be a dear and help me up, would you?"

Eren complied, and he helped her check her gear. "Everything looks like it's still in working order. Are you sure you wouldn't rather go back to the hostel and stay in the basement with my mom and the others? You look a little ragged."

"Eren, you know very well that I've been through worse than this." Hange dusted herself off and she shook her messy ponytail out. "Why, in this life alone I've already been shot. Let's not even discuss the number of times in our previous life I've been knocked out, blown up, thrown around like a rag doll and punched by our tiny captain here—"

"Hey, I only did that once," Levi objected, "and you kneed me in the balls, so you had it coming."

"Potato, potahto." Hange waved it off with a smirk, and she drew her blades. "I'm sticking with my boys today, and that's the end of it."

The scream of a jet drowned out whatever Levi said in response to that, and the trio looked up to see the aircraft fly past. Three more followed in formation, and they were heading for the menace floating over the city.

"That was Erwin's jet in the lead," Levi observed. He watched as the flight team closed in on their target, and he frowned when they went not for the main body of the exo station, but one of the "arms" extending outward from the center of it. Missiles launched and explosions ensued.

"What the hell are they doing?" Eren said, shielding his eyes from the sun's glare with a flattened hand. "Shouldn't they be going for the center?"

"You'd think," agreed Levi, equally baffled. He tilted his head a little. "Wait. No, I see what they're doing. I get it."

Eren didn't get it at all. "What are they doing?" He felt kind of stupid, and he scratched the back of his head. The commander was always doing things like this. He never could tell what Erwin Smith might pull out of his hat from one moment to the next. The guy was a tactical genius like Hange, and Eren just didn't have the sort of mindset to get in his head.

"They're attacking the capsule launchers," Hange said. She apparently forgot all about her bruises and scrapes, and she rubbed her hands together with glee. "Yes! Brilliant! Oh, that beautiful man and his beautiful mind! Say what you will about Erwin, but once he figures out what time it is, he dials it right in!"

Now Eren got it, and he had to give Erwin props. "They're trying to stop them from dropping more titans on the city. Shit, that really _is_ a good move."

Hange grabbed Eren in a half-embrace, and she planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "It looks like our friends have things more or less under control in the sky. It's up to us to keep things in check down here, so let's get moving!"

Levi had already drawn his blades, and he was watching the emerging titan a few yards away with a calculating gleam in his eyes. "Right. If you're up for it, shitty glasses, let's clear out as many as we can. Don't let these bastards get a full stomach."

* * *

Erwin turned his jet on its side to avoid the projectile streaking towards him. It didn't surprise him to find that the exo station had a weaponized defense system. Moblit had explained that the larger exo stations served mostly as habitat and research bases, but they did have weapons and, apparently, containment sectors for titans. Sadly, Moblit hadn't been able to predict that they were capable of dropping and releasing titans upon humanity. Erwin didn't blame the man for that; he'd had his memories scrambled by the very people he'd once worked for. He looked down at the ground with a sigh.

Westenfeld was in flames. The police were doing their best to contain the damage. The military had been called in and Erwin could see armored tanks making their way from the west bridge. He knew it wouldn't be enough. He gave a start when he saw a small form zipping beneath him, trailing a white stream of gas.

 _~Levi.~_

Sure enough, two other forms on wires and trailing smoke soon followed the captain…Eren and Hange. He was about to tear his attention off of the trio, trusting them to handle things on the ground as best they could. It was at that moment, however, that he saw another containment capsule falling from the hovering exo station. It was dropping straight toward the hostel where Eren, his mother and Levi had been staying. Erwin quickly adjusted his headset to try and get warning to his comrades.

"Levi, heads-up. The hostel is about to—"

He didn't get the chance to complete his sentence before the capsule came whistling down and slammed into the building.

* * *

Levi and Eren both heard the impact from behind them, and the latter yelled at the top of his lungs in dismay when he saw where it crashed.

" _Mom_!"

Eren did a one-eighty immediately, swinging back around to using the turbo boost feature to expel an extra jet of gas, increasing his speed. Levi followed him without hesitation, his eyes widening as dust and debris went up around the site of the crash. Silently praying that the impact hadn't been deep enough to collapse the basement containing the occupants, Levi joined his lover on the street outside of the hostel.

 _~No…not this again. Don't fucking do this to him again.~_

Eren was screaming for his mother, already looking for a way to get into the building and find her. Hange came up behind Levi, her eyes huge behind the cracked and scratched lenses of her glasses. She also had a loved one in there, not to mention Historia and Ymir.

"Oh my god, Levi! We've got to get them out of there!"

"We can't do shit until we take down that titan," He said through bloodless lips, nodding at the creature that was now struggling to get out of the capsule. Isabel…Farlan. They each had someone precious to them underneath that mess. They each stood to lose them. "Move out of my way, shitty glasses. I'll handle the cutting. You and Eren start clearing away the mess and try to find a way in.

Hange nodded, and she immediately went to Eren's side to assist him while Levi fired his grapplers straight into the rising fifteen-meter monstrosity. Angered that this creature would have the balls to land on top of his old friends, former allies and Eren's mother, Levi growled as he came in swinging. His blades ripped through an outstretched hand as it tried to grab at him, carving a gash straight through it and splitting it down the middle. He kept going, slicing his way up the arm to the shoulder. He dove with a grunt straight at the creature's eyes, and he had a flashback of having done this before with Annie's titan form in order to rescue Eren. He'd been pissed off then, too. Levi quickly ejected his dulled blades and replaced them with a fresh pair, and he attacked the titan with savagery he rarely wasted on such creatures.

Unable to match the furious agent's speed, the titan was dead in moments. Levi kept cutting until it was little more than a quivering pile of bloody, hacked-up flesh. He was unaware that Erwin had landed his jet on the building top opposite of the hostel using the hovering capabilities. He was faintly startled when he felt a large hand squeeze his shoulder. He whipped his head around, blades drawn, and he relaxed when he saw his superior standing there in full ODM gear. Erwin must have suited up just in case before joining the other reinforcements; which was a smart move. It didn't surprise Levi that the man had thought ahead and came prepared like this.

"It's dead, Levi," Erwin said gently.

Levi looked down at the steaming corpse, breathing heavily from exertion and residual anger. His hands were trembling, he realized, because he was gripping the handles of his pairing blades so tightly they were digging into them, bruising the palms.

"Ma!" Eren was yelling from inside the hostel.

Levi turned back around to search for an entrance, and he wasted no time in going in to join his lover and Hange. Erwin was a comforting, solid presence at the agent's back, and the blond immediately produced a small flashlight to help them see what they were doing. Someone called out from the hatch leading to the basement, and it sounded like Moblit's voice. Hange was already there, struggling to lift a ceiling beam that had fallen and blocked access to the hatch.

"Are any of you hurt?" Erwin called out as Eren joined Hange's efforts.

"Just a little shaken," answered Madeline's quivering voice. "What in the hell fell on us?"

"Oh, just a titan," Hange grunted. "Levi took care of it, though, so don't worry. Erwin, could you stop standing there looking like an usher and help us with this? We could use your muscle, big guy."

"Ah, of course." Erwin placed the flashlight on a smashed bit of rubble, and he got on the side of the beam opposite of Levi to add his strength.

"Okay everyone, on three," Levi instructed. "One…two…three!"

Grunts and groans sounded as the four of them pooled their efforts and lifted the beam enough to drag it back from the hatch. They dropped it as soon as it was clear, and it stirred up plaster dust as it hit the floor with a heavy thump. Erwin grabbed the handles on the hatch and he strained as he tried to open it.

"Hey," Hange called out, "Do you guys have this hatch bolted shut from the other side?"

"Of course we do!" Isabel shouted back. "Like we'd really leave it unlocked with a bunch of giant cannibals running around the city!"

"The slide the fucking bolt back, idiot," Levi snapped. "Erwin's about to bust a nut trying to get you out of there."

"We're doing it, we're doing it," Farlan's voice called back. "Hold up a second and stop tugging!"

Erwin relaxed his hold on the handles with a sigh, and once there was the telling sound of a deadbolt sliding and clicking, he grasped the handles again and pulled. The hatch fairly flew open. Erwin seemed to have misjudged the amount of force needed to lift it, and he stumbled as it slammed open with ease. He grabbed the flashlight and he shone it down the stairs, finding Madeline's upturned face in the foreground. The others were crowded around and behind her. There were about seven guests in addition to Madeline, Moblit, Isabel and Farlan. All of them looked frightened and confused.

"Let me help you," offered Erwin, extending his hand to Eren's mother politely.

She looked up at his handsome, shadowed visage thankfully, and she placed her hand in his. "Such a gentleman! It's almost worth having some gigantic freak's naked ass nearly crush us all to death."

Hange cackled at that, and she waited for Erwin to finish helping Mrs. Jaeger out before offering her hand to Moblit. "Eren, I knew there was a reason I liked your mother. She's a lady of fine taste and class!"

Levi somehow avoided scowling over the way Erwin put a steadying arm around Madeline. Now wasn't the time to get creeped out over his boss being chivalrous with the woman that was going to eventually be his mother-in-law. He squatted down to start offering his own assistance to others as they climbed out of the basement. Meanwhile, Eren embraced his mother tightly with relief as soon as she was steady enough on her feet.

"God, when I saw that thing fall on this building, I thought…I thought…Ma, are you _sure_ you're okay?" Eren held her back at arm's length, looking her up and down searchingly.

"I'm fine, honey," assured Madeline with a relieved smile of her own. She brushed a thumb over an angry little cut on his jaw. "You're bleeding. Are you all right?"

Eren wiped at the spot absently, and he nodded. "Yeah. I must have got hit by a piece of glass or something when that titan landed here. Historia, are you and Ymir okay?"

"We're fine," answered the small blond woman as Levi assisted her out of the hatch. "What should we do now, though? Those things are still being dropped, aren't they?"

"Yes," confirmed Erwin with a nod. He glanced over his shoulder at the entrance they'd come through, and he quickly reached out to offer Madeline his supportive arm when the ground shook beneath them. "I'm going to call for air transport to get you all out of the danger zone. They should have made it here by now, and we're going to evacuate as many civilians as possible to city outskirts while our forces handle this threat."

Eren looked at the former scout commander with sincere gratitude. "Thank you, sir. I really appreciate your looking out for my mother like this."

"Think nothing of it," Erwin said calmly, his blue gaze flicking briefly to Madeline. "We have a responsibility. I have a new idea, however."

Levi pushed aside his reservations, and he gazed at Erwin curiously. "What's this idea of yours, chief?"

"We need transport up to the exo station. Me, you, Hange and Eren. Nanaba should have enough room in her chopper to take us, one the hull is breached enough to get inside."

"I thought you had another team in mind for that, while we take care of the titans on the ground."

"The other team is still a-go," explained Erwin. "They can be our backup or vice-versa."

"I don't get it," admitted Levi with a frown. "Why take us out of the titan action when we have a swat team going in?"

"To save lives." Erwin's gaze went to Eren. "There may be a way to force the staff controlling that thing's flight path without unnecessary bloodshed."

Levi looked at the singer, and he started to catch on. "You can't be serious."

"I can assure you that I am," answered Erwin. "If Eren can manage his coordinate ability enough to compel the staff to stand down and direct the Star Kraken away from the city for a safe landing, local authorities could assist in rounding the rest of them up. We need only make it to the main control room."

"Ah, but Eren won't need to convince the _entire_ staff," mused Hange. Just enough of them to get us back to the ground and give our allies and local police the chance to come in and neutralize the rest of them. Moblit could come with us to help facilitate that. Together, he and I could try to override the security systems while Eren makes the staff shut down the titan drop operation and move the station."

"You're talking about having use a talent he's only use a couple of times so far," Levi pointed out, seeing the tactical logic of the plan but unwilling to allow his lover to stretch himself too thin. "He's only recently started using the damned thing."

"I could do it," Eren said. A familiar, determined look was in his eyes as he stepped closer to the three of them. "If it will put an end to this, I've got to try."

"Eren, what are they talking about?" Madeline said, looking at her son with worry.

"It's going to be okay, Ma," soothed the singer. "I'll have Levi and the others with me, and there's going to be another team invading that thing, too. Hey Moblit, do you know your way around at all in that station?"

Moblit shrugged. "Not precisely, but I can get us heading in the right direction."

"It's better than nothing," sighed Levi. He gazed searchingly into Eren's beautiful, green-gold eyes. "You need to be sparing with it, though. Pick your targets carefully and let us deal with the rest."

"And if Rod Reiss is in hiding somewhere in that thing, Eren could force one of the staff to tell us where he is," suggested Hange. "If we can catch the weasel, we might be able to force him to call off all hostilities. Don't forget there's another exo station over Tarsus Valley."

"Let's do it," Eren enthused.

Levi sighed, and he checked his gear and his weaponry. "Guess it's our best shot. Erwin, call in for that transport to take these people to safety, and get in touch with Nanaba. If you can get Mike in on it too, that would be a plus."

"Mike is currently assisting our other titan slayers," Erwin said as he adjusted his transmitter. "The last I saw him, he ejected from my jet over the area where your team was clearing out titans."

"Then leave him with them. We don't need to cut numbers in our titan fighters more than necessary."

* * *

They stayed with the people in the hostel until a large transport chopper landed outside in the street to take them away. Eren escorted his reluctant mother to board it, reassuring her the whole way that he was going to be all right. Once they were off the ground and heading for the nearest safety zone, Eren and the others boarded Nanaba's aircraft.

"You people have balls, I'll give you that," Nanaba informed them as she lifted off and began the ascent to the struggle happening in the sky. "You have no idea what to expect in there, if you can even make it inside."

"The only other possible solution would be for our tech people to attempt hacking their system and taking control that way," Erwin pointed out, "and we've already learned how time consuming and difficult that is when it comes to this organization."

Hange nodded. "By the time we could even get in, they'd know they were being hacked and take counter measures. We don't have enough time or technicians available to rely on that method."

"Then I'll keep my fingers crossed for you all." Nanaba checked her heading, and she looked through the cockpit window to estimate the best point of possible entry. "I can see where they've punched a hole in the outer shell, but it may not be large enough yet. Looks like the teams not focusing on disabling the titan dropping arms have started focusing on widening that breach."

"Good," approved Erwin. "Take us there. If it's even large enough for us to get through one at a time, that's what we'll do."

"That's easy for you to say," Moblit sighed. "I'm not wearing and 3D gear."

"Then piggy-back on me," offered Hange. "We only need to get from the chopper to that breach, so it's not going to be a long distance."

Moblit didn't appear exactly thrilled by that idea, but he didn't argue with her. Fortunately, the breach was in a blind spot where the automated weapon systems couldn't fire. The attackers must have deliberately chosen that location for that specific reason, to give the swat team a better chance of making it inside.

"Director Smith, do you think you can make it through that opening?" Nanaba pointed, glancing assessingly at the tall blond. "I'm sure Levi could, but you and the others might find it a bit tight."

Erwin leaned forward a bit to look, gauging the size of the tear. "Yes, I think it could be wide enough. Please tell the other air forces to cease firing on that spot until we make it inside."

Nanaba relayed the order, and once the missile and gunfire stopped, she flew closer. The last explosion had widened it a little further, affording Erwin a little more space to get his body through. He climbed out of the cockpit and into the back with the others. Levi had already pulled the door open to prepare for the jump, and Eren was right behind him.

"All right, let's move quickly and hit hard," ordered Erwin.

* * *

Levi was the first to go in, and he examined his surroundings sharply as he drew his pistols to cover the others. His hair whipped in the wind, and he motioned for his companions to let them know it was clear. The inside of the exo station certainly had the feel of a military base to it, with smooth white floors and high walls and ceilings. The fluorescent lights lining the walls were flashing slowly red, indicating the station was under alarm. Nobody appeared to be in this section—possibly due to the breach. His guess was right, he found. They came to a tightly sealed metal security door.

"Think either of you could hotwire this to get it open?" Levi said to Hange and Moblit.

Hange was digging around in one of the pouches she'd strapped to her thighs. "I can do one better, grump. Everyone get back."

Erwin was just coming up, and when he saw the clay and fuses she was pressing to the surface of the door, he cursed. "Hange, not an explosion. It's going to attract attention and we've no idea what sort of opposition we could be facing on the other side of that door."

"There's enough noise and explosions going on outside to drown out this one," she argued. "Do you want this done quickly or delicately, Erwin? I'm setting it up directly over the locking mechanism, and it should be enough to blow it open."

"All right," sighed the blond in concurrence. He backed up with the others and hunkered down, covering his ears. Hange armed the explosive and she dove toward Moblit to join him. After a moment, she lifted her head to stare accusingly at it with a frown.

"Oh pooh…is it a dud?"

Her answer came a moment later when it went off, and Moblit covered her body with his own. They waited for the smoke to clear, and then they approached the door to examine it. With Eren's help, Erwin forced the door to open while Levi, Hange and Moblit crouched down with their guns drawn.

"So far, so good," announced Eren. "I don't see any—"

A squad of black-uniformed people came running around the corner up ahead just as Eren was about to finish his sentence. Seeing that there was a security camera near the ceiling, Eren quickly fired at it. He had to shoot twice to take it out, and a bullet whizzed by his ear in the process.

"Eren, get down!"

Not about to argue with his lover, the singer dropped to the floor and rolled back towards the door they'd just come in through. It was the only real cover they had, and Erwin pushed it halfway shut in a tactical move. Levi took one guy out just as the squad took position in the hall to start firing at them in earnest. They were wearing body armor, so he concentrated fire on hands, shins and kneecaps.

"Don't waste ammo trying to hit vitals," warned Levi. "Just cripple them so we can disarm them."

The others did as he advised, with Erwin's shots hitting his targets more often than the others. Hange's aim had improved and Moblit and Eren were both decent enough marksmen to do their part, but they used more rounds.

"All right," Erwin said when the entire squad of thirteen were down and groaning. "We need to get their weapons away from them. It wouldn't hurt to liberate some of that body armor for our own use."

"But what about our ODM gear?" Eren pressed. "Won't it be awkward to use with body armor?"

"We'll just have to readjust the gear and strap it on over the armor," said Levi. "The extra weight might slow us down in the air if we've got to use it, but we shouldn't have to face any titans to get to our objective."

They worked as quickly as they could, even taking additional firearms from their foes just in case. Fortunately, the body armor was more lightweight than expected, being made of newer materials designed to give the wearer better mobility. They got attacked before Erwin could finish putting his on and fastening his gear harness over it, but Levi and Hange teamed up to take the threat down quickly.

"Where to from here, Moblit?" Erwin pressed, now fully geared again and in body armor. He frowned at Levi. "Why aren't you wearing any of the body armor?"

"'Cause it's all too fucking big for me," groused the smaller man. "I tried to find the smallest piece available, but it still wouldn't fasten securely enough. I think I'm better off without it."

"I don't like that," Eren said with worry. "You haven't had a lot of luck with bullets, lately."

"I'll be fine," insisted the former captain. "I'll take up the rear and cover everyone."

"Just be careful," pleaded Eren.

"Moblit?" Erwin said again, dragging the other blond's attention away from checking his ammo.

"Down this hall and to the left, I think," answered Moblit after some thought. "It should start to circle around to another junction. If we keep going left and inward when possible, we should reach center control. If we can get the staff in there neutralized and seal off access to it for a while, we might be able to pull this plan off."

"Then that's what we'll do." Erwin nodded, and he took point with Hange. Eren, Moblit and Levi followed.

* * *

"This ain't looking pretty." The tall, lanky man with dark, shoulder-length hair and piercing gray eyes studied the security feeds. "We've got two fully armed teams inside this base now. One's just a small group and the other looks like a full squad of twenty, dressed up in military gear."

"Then we should seal off all sectors behind them and do our best to steer them into the containment areas," suggested the shorter, rounder man nearby. "We still have ten specimens on board. I'll have them released to deal with our friends."

The taller man narrowed his eyes on his companion. "No." He shook his head. "I saw what happened the last time you pulled that shit. You've tested your attack plan and it's pretty obvious to me that your people don't have control over the situation. The fucking city's going to be in ruins. Unless you want to be the king of rubble, I think you'd best come up with a different plan of action. Besides, I don't want those things running rampant in this station."

"We can sedate them again once they've dealt with the intruders," argued the shorter man. "All that we really need to do is get Eren Jaeger separated from his companions for long enough to apprehend him, and then we'll have what we're after from here and can cease the operation. General Ackerman, you swore to me that you would support me in this."

"That was before I saw how bad it's gotten out of hand, Reiss. What's left of your titans are staying right where they are, and we'll deal with this without 'em."

"I might have known you would turn on me," snapped Rod. "You did it in the past, and you're just as much a traitor now as you were then!"

Kenny whipped out a wicked looking knife, and he had it pressed against Reiss' throat before the man could so much as peep. "They're coming after _you_ , ya know. I could make it easier for 'em. I still can't believe the Jaeger kid would be stupid enough to come right to us, but there he is. I'll stick with the original plan if we can get our hands on him, but you ain't letting those titans out, understand?"

Rod nodded impulsively, a thin trickle of blood welling under the blade of the knife. Satisfied that he'd made his point, Kenny looked at the screens again. About half of them had gone black as the enemy forces advanced and disabled them with gunshot, leaving security blind in those areas.

"There's probably more on their way, and we're not gonna be able to see the when they show up," muttered Kenny. "This whole thing was a stupid idea—hey, hold the phone!"

He peered intently at one of the screens as Eren Jaeger and his group came within sight of another security camera. For the first time, Kenny spotted the small form at the back of the group, and he quickly zoomed in to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. A grin split his mouth, displaying rows of tobacco-stained teeth.

"Well, I'll be damned. If it isn't my old nephew. I've been wondering if I'd see him again in this life."

The person in question raised his gun and fired directly at the camera then, making the screen go dark. It didn't matter; Kenny knew their location and he could navigate this station with ease. He started checking his weapons, still grinning.

"What are you going to do?" Rod asked, eyes widening. "I need you to stay at my side!"

"Sorry old chum, but I've got a more personal interest in this brawl, now. Hole yourself up somewhere and wait. I'll go and get the Jaeger brat myself. This just got a whole lot more interesting."

* * *

-To be continued


	38. Chapter 38

"I've confirmed that we have reinforcements on board now," Erwin told his companions after speaking with Pixis on a closed channel. "They should be somewhere back behind us, the way we came in."

"So it's still basically up to us to clear a path," guessed Eren.

"Typical," muttered Levi. He heard footsteps coming up behind him and he turned and started firing immediately. "Head's up."

There was nowhere to take cover in the circular corridor, except further around the bend. Levi managed for force the newest arrived team of enemy agents to hit the ground with his quick reaction to hearing them, but he had no body armor like the others. He clicked his tongue with annoyance, holstered his guns and drew his pairing blades. As his companions turned and started firing at the new threat, Levi released his grapplers and took to the air on his maneuver gear. The ceilings were high enough for him to climb out of range of the gunfire, and he employed extra gas to fog up his path. He circled back around once, and then swung around again to speed through the gas cloud he'd created for cover.

The enemy fighters on the floor couldn't see Levi coming at them through the fog, and they were busy in a shootout with the others. As he closed in on them, they only got the chance to see the flash of his blades and the blur of his black hair and green cloak. There were screams of pain and surprise as Levi cut through the ranks. One shot came close to hitting him, but he was moving too fast for it to make its mark. Eren saw another enemy fighter lining up a shot at Levi, and he quickly took aim and fired. He hit the guy in the wrist, injuring him and knocking his weapon out of his hand.

Levi came down for a landing amidst a fresh group of groaning, injured agents. He looked around with satisfaction as his group approached him. "That all of them?"

"For now," confirmed Erwin. "We should move on."

 _"Warning,"_ came an artificial voice over the vessel's speakers, _"intruders are inside the inner ring. Commencing with lockdown and neutralization protocol. All personnel evacuate area."_

"I don't like the sound of that," stated Eren with a worried look around. They could hear the hissing and sliding of mechanical panels from behind and in front of them."

"Go!" Moblit urged. "Hurry, or we'll get trapped in here!"

"Nice of them to warn us," Hange observed as the group began to sprint on, hoping to reach their goal before they got shut off from it.

"Use your gear," Erwin called, and he deployed his grapplers to speed things along.

"Moblit, hop on," urged Hange. "Move your butt!"

The blond man didn't argue with his former section commander. He climbed onto her hunched back to piggyback as planned in cases such as this, and everyone took to the air on ODM flight. Eren noticed that Levi was lagging behind, and he looked back at him with concern.

"Levi?"

"Still taking rear guard," explained the agent. "Keep moving, Jaeger. Stay close to the others."

Eren's eyes met Levi's, openly expressing his apprehension about the plan as they sped along airborne.

"I'll be right behind you," Levi assured him. He'd sheathed his pairing blades in favor of his pistols, for now. "Just keep moving and don't worry about me."

Eren obeyed, keeping close to the rest of the group as instructed. Levi kept a sharp eye out, watching for any sign of enemy opposition and committing his surroundings to memory in case he had a need to make a hasty retreat. Up ahead of them a reinforced panel was lowering quickly from the ceiling to the floor to block off their advance. No doubt there were panels behind them doing the same.

"Faster," Levi shouted. "Use the turbo boost!"

The wires yanked their passengers along at greater speeds as they took his advice, drawing a grunt from Hange due to the extra weight she was carrying and the tug it caused. "Whoohoo, this is going to be close!"

"Eren, to me," Erwin hollered, closing in on the shrinking opening first.

Eren dutifully sped up further to get to his side, and they were the first through. Hange re-fired her grapplers, attaching them low to the walls on the other side of the closing panel. She and Moblit came in low, and the blond ducked his head with a cry as they whooshed underneath and the bottom of the panel clipped his leg. They were so low to the floor that they ended up coming in for a crashing landing on the other side, the impact tossing Moblit off of Hange. Both of them rolled to a stop on their stomachs, while Erwin and Eren had already gotten to their feet and drawn weapons on the people occupying the control room they'd made it into.

That was all Levi got to see before the panel closed completely, just as he reached it. With a curse, he twisted and reversed the expulsion of fuel to slow his trajectory. He landed flat-footed against the panel he'd just missed getting through, and he somersaulted to the floor, retracting his wires.

"Damn."

He searched for some kind of control panel he might try to manipulate or short-circuit to get the barrier back up again, but there was nothing but smooth, blank wall. He heard a soft hiss that sounded like gas, and he saw fog coming out of the vents near the ceiling. He presumed it was some kind of knock-out gas or worse, and he tugged his cravat up around his mouth and nose before hunkering down to the floor, avoiding the expanding fog of mystery gas for as long as possible. He reached for his phone to try and reach one of his comrades to tell them to look for a way to get the doors open, but he found the pocket he'd been keeping it in unbuttoned, with no phone to be found. It must have happened sometime during the fighting once they made it inside.

* * *

"They went _in_ there?" Connie stared up at the monstrous exo station with wide eyes. "Just the five of them? That's suicidal!"

"It's Eren," Jean commented, standing between Connie and Mikasa on the roof of a tall skyscraper. "Of course it's suicidal."

"Erwin and Levi are with them," Mike pointed out, walking up to the team from the other side of the rooftop. "They've also sent a strike squad in, so they'll have backup. Keep focusing on dealing with the titans on the ground."

Mikasa pursed her lips, obviously worried about Eren, but disciplined enough not to let it distract her from their mission. "Orders, sir?"

Eld and Petra landed on the same rooftop, both covered in steaming titan blood and catching their breath. Mike looked around the city calculatingly. "Scattered everywhere," he mumbled. They'd need to split up into teams again and spread out, Now that Levi, Eren and Hange weren't in the titan slayer mix any longer, it might be a little more complicated. Petra and Eld were doing a fine job holding their own. Mikasa and Jean made a fine team. Armin, Connie and Sasha, however, had not spent the time training with the improved gear and they were running on past life recollection. They were rusty. Mike considered Armin, thinking of what Erwin would do in this situation.

"Arlert, rendezvous with the local law enforcement in the streets and tell them they need heavy artillery if they can get it. Let them know where the weak spot is, and help them direct citizens to safety. Use your gear to get out of harm's way if any titans get too close."

Armin nodded without question. "Yes sir."

Mike turned to Eld and Petra. "You two rest up for a moment, and then head to the south side to handle hostilities there."

"Right," agreed Eld. He was still putting most of his weight on his left foot, but he seemed to still be capable of fighting in his ODM gear.

Mike addressed Mikasa and Jean, next. "Think you two can handle the north side?"

Jean grimaced, but after a glance at his girlfriend's determined face, he gave an old-school salute. "We've got this, sir."

"Cool." Now Mike looked at Sasha and Connie, both of which were staring up at the exo station with wide eyes. He whistled through his teeth to get their attention. "You two are with me. We'll take care of the closest threats to the east, then make our way back to the west. I know this gear is more fuel-efficient than what we used to fight with, but don't go wild with the gas. We'll hop rooftops and take to the air in-between and when closing in on titans. No continuous flight. Conserve."

"Yes sir," they said in unison.

Satisfied, Mike looked for his first target. He took off running toward the eastern side of the building, and his chosen two companions followed gamely. The others took off as well to their assigned locations. Up above them, the sky battle raged on, and missiles continued streaking toward strategic points of the exo station to disable the titan dropping mechanisms.

* * *

"Levi!" Eren was pounding at the panel with his fists in a futile effort to force it open. Erwin and Moblit had their weapons trained on the technicians in the control room, and Hange had divided her attention between their new hostages and the panicked singer.

"Eren, settle down," Hange ordered. "You aren't going to intimidate that panel into opening, kiddo. If we're going to get it to budge, we have to do it through the security system."

Eren choked and pressed his forehead against the cold surface of the blocking panel. He backed away, and he turned around to look at the various, startled faces of the SC operatives. The computer systems were arranged in two half circles, each one manned by a different operative. There were twelve in all. With a scowl, Eren reached inside of himself for that hidden well of power he'd only recently discovered. Unaware that his eyes had begun to glow, he focused that energy on the nearest tech.

"Disable the lockdown."

"I...that will...take time," sputtered the middle-aged, balding man. He began to work on it immediately despite his weak protest, compelled by Eren's coordinate.

"I'll attempt to reason with the others while he does that," Erwin stated. He approached a younger man with sable hair, and he aimed one of his pistols at him while keeping the other pointed in the general direction of the opposite row of technicians. "Matthew, is it?"

The young man gulped, glancing down at the nametag on his lab coat. "Yes."

Erwin nodded, and he spoke calmly. "We require this vessel to be piloted away from the city, to an unpopulated area. Do you understand, Matthew?"

The young tech broke into a sweat. "Yes, but the piloting controls are in another chamber. The captain is in charge of the pilot room."

Erwin cursed, and he glanced at Eren. "How is it coming along, Eren?"

The singer didn't notice the trickle of blood leaking from his right nostril. He was focused on the man he'd forced to start shutting down the security protocols on the station. "He's working on it, sir. I don't know how long it's going to take."

Erwin returned his attention to the young man he was holding at gun point. "Well then, I suggest you and your peers focus on disabling the titan droppers, for now. Where is the piloting room located?"

The technician's eyes flicked to a spiral staircase near the wall to the left, answering Erwin's inquiry without speaking.

"Damn it, Matt," snapped the woman sitting at the computer next to his, "You do realize why they want us to pilot the Star Kraken away from the population, don't you? We're as good as dead if we do as they say! They'll have no reason to hold back, and they'll bring us down!"

"Consider it a precautionary measure," Erwin calmly explained. "We have no intention of shedding more blood, if it can be avoided. The lot of you will be arrested and put on trial for your involvement in these hostilities, but no-one needs to be killed. Hange?"

She was already heading for the staircase. "I'll take care of the captain. I'll give a shout if I need Eren to help 'persuade' him."

* * *

Levi literally breathed easier when the vapor ceased to flow from the vents. He didn't know or care why. He started looking again for a way to try hotwiring the panel so that he could get it open and rejoin his companions. He sensed someone coming up behind him, and he grabbed his guns, whirled around and went to one knee. He froze when he recognized the black-uniformed man approaching in an almost casual manner.

"Shit, not _you_ again," Levi groused, getting back to his feet. He kept his weapons aimed at the man who'd been his uncle in the previous life.

Kenny's whiskered face broke into a smile, displaying rows of white teeth. "Nice to see you too, brat. Looks like you haven't learned any manners in this life, either."

Kenny stopped before him, keeping his hands visible. He tilted his head thoughtfully in a manner similar to Levi when the captain pondered something. "So, you're with those UFI clowns, huh? Funny, you look just like I remember you. You're even dressed like a scout! Talk about some outdated fashion sense."

"Shut up," ordered Levi. He didn't question how the man recognized him. Like himself, Kenny was an Ackerman, and Levi reckoned he'd retained all of his memories from the past life as well. "I'm not going to stand here debating clothing choices with you. What are you doing with Satellite Core? Oh, wait...I know the answer. You're in it for the money."

Kenny spread his hands, still grinning. "Hey, a guy's gotta eat. Or are you going to try convincing me you work for free, ya little hypocrite?"

"I don't work for an organization that's dumping titans on people and terrorizing innocents," Levi countered, narrowing his eyes.

"So you've never killed anyone in this life?" challenged Kenny.

Levi's jaw clenched. Even now, the man could get under his skin. "Only people that deserved it. Criminals. Murderers."

"So you get to decide who's guilty and who isn't?" Kenny went on. "Who gets to live and who gets to die? You're pretty full of yourself, nephew."

"I've never killed an innocent person," Levi insisted. "You're the sick bastard helping these assholes make people into human snacks. Women...children...elderly. Have you ever seen a little kid get snatched up and eaten alive, shit-face? I have."

"Heh. You're more emotional in this life than you were in the last one, kiddo. That could cost ya."

Levi stared him down without blinking, judging him with his eyes. Kenny deflated a bit, and he actually started to look uncomfortable. "Look, I don't like what they're doing. I just basically told Reiss to go fuck himself, to tell ya the truth."

Levi snorted with disgust. "Tch. Should have known you were working for him again. What the hell is the appeal in that, anyhow? I know you're not a total dirtbag. You helped Eren in the previous life when that pig tried to get his daughter to devour him."

Kenny shrugged. "He pays me well."

"You aren't gonna be able to cash in on that for much longer," Levi promised. He started aiming at the taller Ackerman's kneecaps. "So he's on board, is he? Tell me where, and save yourself some pain."

Kenny started to reach into a pocket on his uniform, and he held one hand up when Levi tensed. "Easy brat. I'm just reaching for my smokes." He produced a pack of cigarettes and held them up for display, before flipping the top open and pulling one of them out. He spoke around the filter as he put the pack away and dug a lighter out. "We ain't supposed to smoke these things on board, but I've been itching for a nicotine fix for a month, now. Fuck the rules. This moment's too good not to indulge."

"You're a smoker now, too?" Levi's lip curled. "You suck."

"Oi, that's prejudice," mumbled Kenny. "You talk like that to everyone that smokes?"

Levi allowed his former uncle to light up, remembering all to well the best way to deal with the man. "Reiss, Kenny. Where is he. I don't have to kill you, but I can make you wish you were dead."

"Promises, promises." Kenny took a drag, and he blew the smoke directly at Levi. "So where's Jaeger?"

"Out of your reach." Levi narrowed his eyes again. "And I mean to keep it that way. Try to lay a finger on him and I'll cut off your hands."

Kenny gave him a hairy eyeball. "Wow, you're real touchy about that crooner. Oh, I get it! You're banging him, ain't ya? Little faggot."

" _Now_ who's prejudiced?" Levi shot back, not trying to deny it. "I'll ask you one last time, and if I don't get an answer, you're losing a kneecap. Where is Rod Reiss?"

Kenny pulled the cigarette out of his mouth, and he regarded Levi thoughtfully. "Tell you what, kid; you beat me in a fair fight for old time's sake, and I'll take you to Reiss myself." He gestured at the twin daggers sheathed at his waist. "What do ya say? Are your skills still up for it? You ain't too chicken to take a challenge, are you?"

Levi decisively holstered his pistols, and—still keeping an eye on Kenny—he reached for his own knives, sheathed to his thigh straps. "It would be my genuine pleasure."

Kenny grinned hugely. He drew his knives as well, and he fell into a combat stance. "Then let's dance!"

* * *

"Shit, what's taking so long?" Eren growled. He was starting to feel dizzy. The man working on overriding the lockdown was still working on it, and his hands had started to shake from the urgent force that Eren was pressing down on him.

"Eren, you may want to back off a little," suggested Moblit, looking between the singer and the target of his focus. "Your nose is starting to bleed pretty heavily."

Eren shook his head. "I've got to get Levi. Open that fucking panel, asshole!"

"T-t-trying," stammered the tech. His ears began to leak crimson. So did his eyes.

"Eren, that's enough," ordered Erwin upon noticing it. "You're killing him. Possibly yourself, as well."

Eren didn't want to stop, but his body was reaching its limit, and his legs were starting to give out. The target of his coordinate also proved to be past his limit. The man passed out and fell out of his chair to the floor. Eren's link to him was severed abruptly as he lost consciousness, and the singer experienced a sort of mental whiplash as a result. A dizzying throb went through him, and he too fell to the floor. His world went black.

* * *

"Shit," Erwin blasted, beyond all sense of social propriety now. He watched as Moblit rushed to Eren's side to check his vitals, and he heard a crash from up above in the piloting room. "Hange, what's going on up there? Do you need assistance?"

There was another crash. "I'm fine, dear!" Hange's voice called. "I'm just winning the captain over!"

Erwin sighed, and he looked to Hange's lover. "Moblit?"

"I'll go and check," said the other blond. "Eren's heart rate is accelerated and his body temperature is too high, though. You may need to try and staunch the nosebleed, sir. It's alarmingly severe."

"I'll keep an eye on our friends and do that while you check on Hange," promised Erwin. He want over to Eren while Moblit made for the stairs. The UFI director kept his gun trained on the occupants of the room as he knelt down beside Jaeger. He wished they'd had the means to bind all of these people so that he wouldn't have to worry about keeping such a sharp eye on them.

"Eren," murmured Erwin, gently shaking the younger man. Jaeger was far too pale for his liking, and he was unresponsive. Erwin looked up with a frown, his blue gaze scanning his captive audience. "If any of you have medical training, raise your hand."

Two people raised their hands immediately, and Erwin nodded to the young blond woman with glasses, sensing that she seemed like the more compassionate of the two of them. "Miss, please come here and tend to my companion. I promise you leniency in exchange for whatever aid you can give him. You there," He nodded at the man who had also raised his hand, "see to your compatriot. He needs medical attention as well."

From up the stairs, Erwin heard Moblit's urgent voice. "Section Commander, you've got 'the look' again. You've already pummeled the man and if he loses consciousness, we're screwed! Give him a chance to do what you've told him to do."

Hange's voice responded. "But he's being difficult! Just give me a few more throws and I'm sure I can—"

" _No_ , Hange!" Moblit shouted. "He's had enough! Now put him down and let him pilot the ship, for the love of God!"

Erwin shook his head, torn between amusement and anxiety. "Pair of hot-heads," he mumbled, watching as the young SC tech worked over Eren. Between Jaeger and Hange, he and Moblit had their hands full. He almost felt sorry for the other blond, but Moblit was so loyal to Hange by his own choice. Right now, Eren was in dire need of attention, and Levi was still trapped between sectors. Erwin could only hope his SAC was holding his own, whatever opposition he might be facing right now.

* * *

Levi had to give some credit to his opponent; Kenny was as deadly with knives now as he ever was. The UFI agent was actually getting a bit winded from dodging, parrying and counter-attacking the taller man's moves.

"Had enough yet?" Kenny taunted. He sounded a little winded as well, and he'd broken into a sweat.

"Not nearly." Levi dove and rolled, coming up behind his uncle. Sometime during the fight, he'd stopped thinking of him as a "former relative". They were right back to where they'd been in the previous life, fighting each other, trying to best each other, neither of them completely winning out. Kenny whirled and kicked, driving his booted foot right into Levi's gut. The smaller man somehow managed to retain his grasp on his knives even as he flew backwards into the wall with a groan. Kicking was also an Ackerman talent, he realized. He couldn't catch his breath for a moment, and it was all he could do to dodge when Kenny came at him again with the flash of his blades.

At that moment, the panel behind them opened. Levi glanced that way with a curse. That wasn't the panel he'd been hoping for, and the people rushing in certainly weren't allied reinforcements.

"Drop the weapons," shouted the SC operative in the forefront of the group of six. He'd taken aim with a formidable semi-automatic. "Drop them now!"

Levi looked at Kenny. Kenny looked at Levi. The older Ackerman scowled then, and he switched his gaze to the new threat. "Hey, nobody invited you to this party!"

And just like that, Levi and Kenny became unexpected allies. They fell into old instinct and they both charged; the former activating his ODM gear and harpooning one of the enemy agents right through the arm with a grappler. The latter dove, tucked and rolled as a bullet fired at him. Neither of the two Ackermans drew a gun. They used the weapons they were most proficient in, and blood soon splattered the walls.

* * *

"Sir, I've staunched the nosebleed," reported the blond woman that was tending Eren.

Erwin nodded, and he gave her a little smile that made her blush. "Thank you, Janet. Unfortunate though this situation is, you've done a good thing."

She bit her lip and averted her gaze. "We aren't monsters, you know. Not all of us, anyway."

"I'm aware of that," he assured her gently, "and that's why we're trying so hard to avoid needless death. The man at the core of this conflict is still at large, though. Tell me, do you know if Rod Reiss is on this station, and if he is, where he can be found?"

"Mr. Reiss?" Her face screwed up with obvious distaste. "The last time I saw him, he was here. I wouldn't be surprised if he took an escape shuttle once things started getting ugly, though."

Erwin sighed. He hadn't expected anyone to be able to tell him where his main target was, but he'd entertained the slim hope, and now he had this girl's cooperation. "If we could locate and detain him, it would be of great help to ending this conflict."

"Erwin, we're moving!" Hange called from upstairs. "We'll come in for a landing to the west, so phone it in and have people ready to collect!"

That confirmation at least gave Erwin some relief. "Understood," he called. "Nicely handled, Hange."

The panel that had shut Levi off from the rest of the group finally opened, and Erwin turned to see the raven-haired agent striding in with blood splashing his outdated scout uniform. Behind him was an old protagonist that Erwin recognized immediately, and he started to draw on him.

"Oi, he's with us," Levi said hastily. "At least for now. He knows where Reiss is. What's the situation, chief?"

Erwin started to respond, but then Levi's gaze fell upon Eren's unmoving form. The captain immediately sheathed his knives and rushed to his lover, falling to his knees before him. He gathered Eren into his arms, and he looked up at Erwin questioningly when the singer didn't respond to his calls.

"What the fuck happened?"

The anxiety plainly visible in Levi's gray eyes hurt Erwin to see. God, the man was so in love. If there were any doubts about that, Levi's reaction to seeing Eren in this condition laid them to rest.

"His coordinate," explained Erwin. "He over-used it. This young lady took care of him, but he hasn't responded to any attempts to wake him since his collapse."

Erwin looked at Kenny with a frown. "How exactly did you come into the picture, and how did you get that panel open?"

Kenny held up what looked like a small remote of some kind. "Handy-dandy. We can save the rest for later. You want Reiss, don'tcha?"

Erwin took a slow breath, his attention divided between the dangerous man that had once led an enemy squad and Levi, who was tragically calling Eren's name and stroking his hair. "Yes. I want Reiss. I presume you're prepared to take us to him?"

"I am now," agreed Kenny with a nod. He looked down at Levi, who was still cradling Eren in his arms. "Shit, you've got it bad. I'm kind of disappointed, kiddo."

"Fuck you," muttered Levi. He visibly struggled to pull himself together, and he looked up at Erwin. "Finish it, sir. I'll keep these asshats in line." Levi gently laid Eren down, and he removed his cloak to bundle it and pillow his lover's head with it.

"Hange and Moblit are upstairs in the pilot room," Erwin informed him. His chest was aching, and he hoped to heavens that Eren would pull out of this. Levi had lost enough in both lives. "Call for them if you need any assistance."

Levi nodded, and his eyes seemed to harden as he regarded their captive audience. "Listen up, all of you. I'm not in a charitable mood. If any of you so much as lifts a finger I'll cut your goddamned heads off. Don't fuck with me."

Erwin nearly smirked. At least half of the SC techs looked as though they'd just crapped their pants. Small and adorable though Levi might be, the man could put the fear of God into people without batting an eyelash. Erwin turned to Kenny, and he nodded. "I trust Levi's judgment. That being said, I don't trust _you_. Relinquish your weapons before taking me to where you believe Reiss is hiding."

* * *

"Moblit, keep an eye on our friend, here." Hange checked the heading to make sure they were moving in the right direction. "I need to go and check on Eren, and I heard Levi downstairs."

"Absolutely." Moblit kept his gun aimed at the captain. "I'll be fine, Section Commander."

Hange smirked at him with amusement. "You keep calling me that. It's cute."

Moblit flushed. "Old habits. Since getting all of my memories back, it's hard not to fall back on them."

Hange pinched Moblit's chin and gave him a brief, heartfelt kiss on the lips. "I'm not complaining, dear. I like it."

She then ruffled his hair and winked at him. "My sweet Moby. I'll be back shortly, okay?"

He smiled in a completely smitten way. "All right."

Hange chuckled helplessly. Lord, was this man and his unfaltering devotion to her ever the cutest thing. When this was all over, she planned to ride him like a bull at a rodeo. She went to the stairs and descended them, only to find Levi squatting down beside Eren's prone form with a painfully cold look on his face. Having familiarized herself enough over time to recognize it, she knew he was stifling his emotions ruthlessly. Hange's brows forked, and she hurried over to Eren's side.

"Erwin told me he was in bad shape," murmured the scientist, "but I didn't know he was this fucked up. Are you okay, shrimp?"

Levi shrugged. "Moderate." He was staring at the quivering techs in the room like he was considering which one of them to dismember first.

Hange snapped her fingers before his face. "Hey, look at me."

Levi tore his attention away from his prey, and for a moment, Hange thought he might start crying. She impulsively put her arms around him and held him tightly. "Oh, baby. Eren's too strong to let this end him, okay? He's going to pull through. You just wait and see."

A faint tremor went through Levi's compact, muscular body. "You don't know that."

"Oh yes I do!" Hange pulled back, and she cupped her old friend's grumpy little face in her palms. "His love for you is going to keep him anchored, if nothing else. He's going to come back from this and when he does, I want you to promise me something."

Levi lowered his troubled gaze. "What do you want me to promise?"

Hange smiled, and she cupped his chin to urge him to look at her. "I want you to promise not to be a hard-ass on him over this. Eren did this because he was desperate to save your cute little tush. Praise his bravery when he comes too. Don't jump his ass."

Levi heaved a shuddering sigh. "Yeah. I think I can manage that." He looked down at Eren, and he reached out to stroke his hair. "I just want him to wake up."

Hange sniffled in spite of herself. The only time she'd seen Levi even a fraction emotional as this was when Erwin lost his arm, and even _then_ , he'd been so subtle about it that it was lost on most. Not so with Eren. The grump was truly devastated over the condition that his honey was in.

"I'm going to do everything possible to make sure he comes out of this," Hange vowed passionately.

* * *

"It's ruined. Everything I planned for...everything I _worked_ for...all ruined."

Rod muttered the evaluation to himself as he paced the floors of the escape shuttle deck. They were moving away from the city. The titan drop was unsuccessful...incomplete. Eren Jaeger had again slipped through his fingers, and enemy forces were overtaking his haven. All of his plans were going up in smoke before his very eyes. He hadn't even gotten the chance to determine whether they could control the titans without Jaeger's coordinate or not. A spiteful sense of vengeance grew within him, and he snarled. His gaze flicked to the console.

"I have the code," Rod whispered. "I can destroy the evidence."

He walked over to the console, and he hesitated for just a moment before navigating to the self-destruct mode and entering in the code. He had five minutes. That was enough. "Deal with this, you meddling bastards."

* * *

Erwin was in the process of following Kenny down the twisting halls of the exo station when the lights suddenly went dim. Red lights began to flash, and an alarm went off. He looked at his companion as the sirens started blaring. "What's all this?"

Kenny went tense, his brows forking. "Fuck. 'Code nine' means the self-destruct's been activated."

Erwin's mouth fell open. "Tell me you're joking."

Kenny shook his head. "Nope. Looks like we don't have enough time to grab Reiss. I hope you've got an escape plan, Commander."

Erwin fought back a groan. His ability to curb his tongue failed yet again.

"Son of a bitch."

* * *

-To be continued


	39. Chapter 39

"Fuck. Hange, he's seizing!" Levi started to shove aside the young woman named Janet that was seeing to Eren when he saw his lover begin to twitch and foam at the mouth.

Hange rushed to his side and stopped him. "No, Levi! Don't get in her way. There isn't much we can do besides roll him onto his side as she's done and wait it out." She embraced her friend from behind, as much to comfort him as to hold him back. She looked down at Eren with concerned, red-brown eyes as the blond tech did her best to keep Eren from choking. "Shh, it's going to be all right, grump."

"Don't bullshit me," Levi growled, his voice raw with the effort of controlling his emotions. "You don't really know what's going on with him, shitty glasses."

"No, she doesn't Moblit agreed, coming up beside them with a frown, "but if anyone has good instincts when it comes to all things medical and scientific, it's Hange. Please trust her, Captain Levi."

Eren's seizing ebbed and stopped after a few moments, and he again lay still. Janet looked up at Levi and the others helplessly. "There's morphine in this emergency medical kit I'm using. Dr. Zoë, it's your call. Would you like me to dose him? It may help prevent further seizing."

"Do it," agreed Hange. She looked around curiously, having noticed the tinny, computerized voice announcing a code over the speaker systems. The alarms weren't lost on anyone either, and she realized that all of the techs had gone even paler with alarm. "What is 'code nine'?"

Janet bit her lip, breaking open a package with a morphine syrette. "It's the self-destruct sequence. The warning was to allow staff to evacuate or override the process."

"So one of you override it, already," snapped Levi. He reached for his phone to try and contact Erwin, having no idea of where the man might be right now with Kenny. "Who set it off?"

"None of us," insisted one of the techs. All of them were busy now, rushing to try and cancel the self-destruct sequence. "It must have been activated from somewhere outside the control room!"

Hange and Levi looked at one another, both of them coming up with the same thought. "Reiss," they said at the same time.

Moblit nodded. "He must be trying to destroy the evidence. He knows he's lost this, and he's probably trying to escape right now."

"Damn," Levi snapped. "Erwin's not picking up. I'll try—"

Over his communication earpiece, the agent heard Erwin's voice speak up. "Flight teams and strike squad one, we have a situation. The exo station has been put in self-destruct mode. People are rushing to evacuate. Do not interfere with the shuttle launches, but be sure to track them and collect passengers for arrest when they land."

"Understood," Gunther said over the transmission.

"Levi, do you copy?" Erwin said.

Levi activated the mic on his set. "I copy. Where the hell are you and Kenny at? Did you find Reiss?"

"Negative. Our best guess is that he's on one of those shuttles right now. He won't get far, if that's the case. Have the technicians attempt to override the code and stop the countdown. I'm on my way back to the control room with Kenny now."

"They're already on it," Levi answered. "Shouldn't we be trying for one of those shuttles ourselves?"

"No, I would prefer to give the staff aboard this station a chance to escape, and there isn't likely to be enough shuttles for all. Nanaba, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear, Director Smith," came Nanaba's voice. "I assume you need transport crafts to collect you and the others?"

"Yes," agreed Erwin. "Send as many as you can spare to the breach we entered from. We'll likely have SC operatives with us, so we need as much passenger space as possible."

"Affirmative. I'll lead the team to the location."

Levi compressed his lips, and he looked over his shoulder at the console rows. "How's it coming along? Have any of you cracked it yet?"

"No sir," answered one of the techs, breaking into a sweat.

"It was activated using an executive command code," explained a woman. "None of us have that code. We have under three minutes to evacuate!"

"Erwin, we've got less than three minutes," Levi repeated. "Don't bother heading back here, just get to the breach and we'll join you."

"Okay everyone," Hange called, "Forget about trying to stop the sequence. Let's haul ass! Don't dawdle, folks. Anyone that falls behind gets _left_ behind!"

That said, Hange released Levi so that the captain could gather Eren up. "Do you need help carrying him, grump?"

Levi shook his head, lifting Eren bridal style. "I can handle it and keep up. Just get moving."

* * *

In a mad rush to escape before the countdown completed, the former scouts, the pilot of the Star Kraken and all of the command center staff made for the breach. There were no enemies right now; just a common goal to evacuate before they all got blown to smithereens.

"Hey," panted Hange as they ran down the corridors, "ever wonder...what a 'smithereen' is? I wonder that sometimes."

"It's what we're gonna be if we don't get off this hunk of shit," Levi growled. "Now's not the time to hash out the definition, you lunatic."

"Just...making conversation." Hange groaned and held her side. "Shit, I've got a stitch. I might have to take to the air, guys."

"Go ahead," urged Levi. "Use your gear. It'll at least get _you_ there faster. Maybe Moblit can piggy-back with you."

"I'll stick with you in case you need help with Eren, sir," Moblit insisted. "We're nearly there, and it looks like someone got all the blockade panels open, so the way is clear, at least. Besides, Hange probably can't carry a passenger with a stitch in her side."

"Kenny's doing with the panels, probably," panted Levi. He adjusted his hold on Eren to secure him in his arms better. The oblivious singer's head was bobbing with Levi's sprints.

Hange started to fall back, gasping in pain. "I'm sorry, guys. I can't keep it up on foot. I'll wait for you when I get there!"

"Don't wait for us," Moblit urged. "If transport's available when you get there, get in it!"

"I am _not_ leaving my boys behind," Hange snapped. "I'm just using the sensible mode of travel so that I don't slow you down. You just get there, damn it...all of you!"

With that said, she fired her grapplers to a point ahead of them in the corridor and she leaped into the air, shooting away with a thin trail of gas smoke.

"Captain, are you sure you can—"

"I've got him, Moblit," Levi assured. He was even out-pacing everyone, even with his precious burden in his arms. "Just concentrate on running and don't worry about me. Now...stop talking and save your breath."

"Oh God, we're going to die," cried one of the techs behind them, looking down at the touch screen device he was carrying. "We've got less than a minute 'till detonation!"

"What part of 'save your breath' wasn't clear?" groused Levi, sounding more winded than before. "Shut up and run."

* * *

The strike team was already there and boarding one of the transport choppers when Erwin and Kenny made it to the breach. The gash had been widened since he and the others first entered it, probably blasted bigger by the air strike teams once everyone entered the exo station for the invasion operation. He could see the fresh smoke curling up and wafting away in the wind from the jagged edges of the broadened tear, and there was heated, smoking shrapnel scattered about. He hopped over a thick hunk of the material comprising the outer shell of the hull, and his companion kept pace with him. Erwin stopped at the edge of the breach, looked down, and immediately regretted it.

He would have thought that all of his past life experience in the air combined with his current life experience as a pilot would make him more resistant to vertigo. He was wrong. He hadn't truly appreciated just how high up they were in altitude when he'd initially boarded the vessel. He'd been too focused on his goal. He staggered, and Kenny quickly caught him by the waist and helped him catch his balance.

"Whoa, can't have you diving with no parachute," yelled Kenny over the wind. "They ain't likely to pardon me if you aren't around to testify, blondie."

Erwin caught his breath, closing his eyes briefly to ease the dizziness he felt. He'd promised Kenny that he would speak out on his behalf and do what he could to secure a pardon in exchange for his assistance aboard the Star Kraken. He considered himself a man of his word, regardless of what manner of ruthlessness he was willing to employ to see his goals reached.

"Thanks. We'll wait for the next transport. This one looks full."

Kenny grimaced. "You sure there's another one coming?"

"Of course." Erwin waved the pilot away, indicating that he could egress with his passengers. Another chopper came in once that one flew away, and Erwin smirked at Kenny. "See?"

"I stand corrected." Kenny's dark hair whipped in the wind like Erwin's. "All right, so let's board!" He suggested when the pilot brought the chopper in as close as possible and hovered. The co-pilot opened the hatch and motioned urgently at them, shouting at them over the noise.

Erwin looked behind them, irresolute. "Not yet."

"Whaddya mean, 'not yet'?" Kenny eyeballed him like he was a madman. "Our bird is right here, Smith! What is there to wait for?"

Instead of responding to the question, Erwin tried to contact Levi over the transmission. "Agent Ackerman, what's your twenty? Copy?"

There was no immediate response, and Erwin tried again, wondering if he was breaking up or if he wasn't coming through clearly enough over the rush of wind, the sound of the engines or the noise from the chopper.

"Levi, please respond. What is your status?"

There was a crackle, and Erwin could hear ragged breathing. "Almost...there."

Concerned by the fatigue he could hear in that voice, Erwin started to go back immediately. Hange came speeding out on her ODM gear, and she came in for a clumsy landing a few feet from the Director. "Hey, they're right behind me," she shouted. She bent over, clutching at her side. "Shit...I'm spent!"

Erwin went to her, and he put a supportive arm around her. "Lose the tanks and the pairing sheaths, Hange. They're of no further use to you, and they're weighing you down."

"Yeah," she gasped, nodding. "Good call, sir."

She worked practiced fingers at the release catches. Levi had designed this improved version of the gear to come free easily with the right kind of impact or the user's discretion, if the situation demanded it. Like the old gear from what was now an ancient time, this was a precautionary design to allow the wearer to slip free if necessary or for the equipment to come apart and still be functional if the user took a tumble. The tanks dropped free easily, but the mechanism holding the pairing sheaths appeared to be jammed. Hange cursed, and Erwin saw the problem.

"May I?" he offered.

Hange nodded, and she straightened up as much as she could and held her arms up so that he could correct the issue. Soon the thick sheaths dropped to the cracked floor with the canisters. "I'll help you onto the chopper," said Erwin.

"No. I'm not leaving until the others get here safely."

Erwin started to argue with her, looked at the unwavering expression on her face, and he smiled. "Understood, Hange."

He vaguely heard shouts coming from the breach that Hange had exited from, and he looked in that direction to see a group of people in SC uniforms and lab coats come running out with Levi and Moblit in the lead. Levi was flushed with exertion and his face was dripping sweat, but he had a tight, protective hold on the young man in his arms. Erwin's jaw went slack with the realization that the stubborn, small man had managed to run all that way while carrying Eren Jaeger all by himself.

"Christ, he's tenacious," muttered Erwin to himself. It really shouldn't have surprised him, though. Levi was loyal to those who earned it to a fault. He'd just expected Moblit or someone else to be helping Ackerman with his burden. Considering how protective Levi was of Eren, though, he probably wouldn't allow anyone to touch Eren. The captain's scout cloak billowed out behind him as he charged, his brows lowered and his jaw clenched with determination. Erwin didn't know how he'd found the time to put the cloak back on before fleeing, but Levi was just full of surprises.

"Shit, kid," Kenny remarked, and Erwin thought he detected a faint hint of relief in the lanky, tall man's voice. "You hauled that dead-weight all the way here? Tch, you really _are_ smitten, ain't you?"

"Shut...the...fuck...up," Levi managed between gasps.

"Give him to me," urged Erwin sternly, holding his arms out for Eren. "I'll carry him. Catch your breath, Levi."

Levi regarded him suspiciously at first, and then he gave a curt nod and relinquished Eren to his director's hands. Erwin gathered Jaeger up carefully, and the kid wasn't light. Again admiring Levi's fortitude and strength, Erwin resisted the temptation to sling Eren over his shoulders in a fireperson's carry. Levi wouldn't like him handling his lover that way.

"All right," called Erwin, "You SC people get on board this chopper. The co-pilot will help you. Don't look down; just concentrate on getting aboard in an orderly fashion. Don't crowd one another, or you'll just slow down the process and take un-necessary time."

To their credit, they did their best to follow his advice. There was a bit of a jam as they crowded to get into the escape craft, but they at least waited for the person ahead of them to go before boarding. It became apparent to Erwin that the transport chopper was getting too full to take him and his companions, and they had under a minute left.

"Director Smith, are you and your team aboard a chopper yet?" Nanaba's voice inquired over the transmission.

"Negative," he answered. "I allowed the Star Kraken staff to board first. Are there any transports left?"

"No, but I have room for you guys in mine," Nanaba informed him. I'm right behind the transport hovering there, sir."

Erwin breathed a prayer of thanks. For once, it appeared the odds weren't completely against them. "Good job, and thank you."

He waved away the transport chopper, and he squinted against the light of the setting sun as he watched for Nanaba's chopper. It came into view quickly, smaller than the two that had collected passengers earlier, but still large enough to take the remaining people aboard.

"Moblit, help everyone board," Hange ordered when Nanaba flipped some switches and the hatch opened up. She looked at Kenny. "You too, bean pole. Your part in this isn't finished yet."

"Absolutely," Moblit agreed, and he hurried to the chopper and crossed the short span of empty air between the hatch and the deck of the exo station. He looked back at Kenny expectantly, and the Ackerman sighed and shrugged, joining him.

They helped Hange get aboard first, and then Erwin nodded at Levi. "You next."

Levi shook his head. "No. You and Eren next. I'll be right behind you."

Erwin frowned at him, and the captain's steely gray eyes narrowed. "You gonna argue? The clock's ticking, chief."

Yes, the clock was indeed ticking. They were likely going to get hit by the shockwave when the self-destruct went off, as it was. Rather than waste what little precious time they had left, Erwin turned and went to the chopper. He handed Eren over to Moblit and Kenny, and once they had the singer secured, Erwin accepted Moblit's helping hand to get on, himself. There was no time to get Eren strapped down. They'd put him down on the floor of the chopper between the seats, and Hange was already squatting over him like a gargoyle, checking his vitals. Erwin looked behind him, and he breathed easier when he saw Levi board.

"Everyone get buckled in," Nanaba suggested, checking to make sure they were all aboard before shutting the hatch.

Levi knelt beside Eren, opposite to Hange. "I'm staying at his side," he stated. He unclasped his cloak and he covered Eren up with it to keep him warm. He lurched a little bit as the chopper turned sharply to begin its retreat.

"Suit yourself," Nanaba said. She stopped in the process of egress, and she swore. "Shit, there are more people coming out. There's five of them in SC uniforms. They want on board."

Erwin looked out the window. Sure enough, there were five SC agents running out to the breach, waving their arms and shouting pleadingly. He clenched his jaw. Hard decisions seemed to be his lot in life. "Leave them."

"Sir?" Nanaba looked back over her shoulder into the cabin at him, her eyes wide behind the shades she wore over them.

"I said leave them," he clarified. "Even if we could squeeze them in here, they would weigh us down and we haven't the time to spare. If we are to make it to safety, we can't waste another second."

For a moment, she looked like she was going to argue with him. Something from her previous life must have kicked in, though...some instinct or flash of memory that reminded her it wasn't always possible to save everyone. "Right."

Erwin couldn't look away from the pleading people on the deck as Nanaba began to pilot their aircraft away from the exo station. As if realizing they would find no rescue from the chopper, the men and women's waving and shouting grew more desperate. Erwin closed his eyes. It seemed he was destined to repeat some of the cold things he'd had to do in his previous life. He'd never left live soldiers behind if it could be helped, though. Reminding himself that these people were responsible for the chaos and destruction happening in Westenfeld, Erwin hardened his heart. He'd made the right call. Had they'd attempted to pick up those people, they might not have even had the chance to fly out of the blast radius when the Star Kraken's self-destruct sequence went off.

* * *

"Come on, come on!"

Reiss was desperately trying to get his escape shuttle out of the docking bay, but it was jammed. Something had malfunctioned in the release catch and one of the clamps securing the shuttle to the track was still tightly closed, preventing him from moving the craft more than a few inches. All of the other shuttles had already been taken by evacuating staff. He should have gotten out and chosen a different pod when this one wouldn't launch immediately, but he'd convinced himself that it was just a temporary problem that he could fix, and he didn't have time to change vessels. Now he was out of time completely.

"Goddamn it," he cursed, sweating. He peered through the shuttle's windows into the docking room, where the console he'd used stood flashing. His only chance now was to abandon the self-destruct and find somewhere to hide when enemy authorities searched the exo station. He knew this vessel inside and out. There were plenty of places he could hole up in that the brass and the UFI didn't know about. He might be able to evade them for long enough to sneak away later.

Desperate and knowing he only had seconds to go, Rod opened the hatch and stumbled out of the shuttle, charging for the console. His eyes widened when he saw that the countdown had reached five seconds, and he hastily started typing in the abort code. His hands were shaking and he made a typo. He backed up and tried to fix it, but the countdown reached zero before he could finish and deliver the code.

"M-my work," he protested as the detonations began all over the station, starting in the titan containment areas and the center. Rod closed his eyes and put his hands over his face. There was no escape, now.

* * *

Jean and Mikasa watched with wide eyes as the gigantic Satellite Core vessel lit up in the sky, not quite out of range of city limits. Explosions went off all over it, and black smoke rolled up from the exo station. They hadn't heard any of the communication concerning the situation up there, because Jean's equipment got busted in a fight, and Mikasa lost her earpiece. Both of them were in the dark, and they hadn't had time between fights to try calling anyone on their phones to find out what was happening.

"Shit, I hope they aren't still up in that thing," Jean muttered. "Do you suppose the captain and commander are responsible for those explosions?"

Mikasa shook her head. "Not unless their timing was off. That thing was moving _away_ from the city. If I were to guess, our allies are responsible for that part. I don't think even Hange would have set off explosives on that base before it was out of range of the city. They wouldn't risk adding to civilian casualties that way."

"So what, then? The thing just decided to blow _itself_ up?"

"I don't know, Jean." Mikasa put a hand over her stomach. "I feel sick. Eren..."

Jean frowned. Half the time he didn't get along with the guy. It was better now than it had been in the previous life, but he and Eren still butted heads a lot. The annoying maniac was still his friend though, and the best front man their band could ask for. He heard the tromp of giant footsteps, and he looked over Mikasa's shoulder. Drawing his pairing blades, he nodded at the approaching menace coming up to the building they were on top of.

"Head's up, Mika. We've got a twelve meter at two o'clock. We've got to worry about ourselves for now and just keep our fingers crossed for Eren and the others."

She nodded and turned, scowling at the threat. "Right. Let's take it out."

* * *

"What's happening out there?" Levi asked, his attention divided between Eren and the hollow booms he could hear. The helicopter shook and listed in the turbulence caused by the disturbance in the air, and Levi covered Eren with his body to prevent him from sliding as the aircraft leaned to the right.

Moblit and Kenny both checked out the window. The latter answered first. "It's going down. Nice fireworks, you should have a look."

"It hasn't completely cleared the city," observed Moblit. "It's going to crash at the south edge of town!"

Nanaba spoke up from the cockpit. "Don't worry too much about that. As I understand it, most of that part of the city has been evacuated closer to the center to underground shelter. Some homes and buildings will get crushed, but casualties should be minimal."

"Minimal," Levi repeated under his breath. "Not a zero sum."

It was likely that not all citizens could respond to the evacuation warnings. The elderly, the infirm, the very young. Some might have caregivers or parents to help get them out, but he sincerely doubted that part of town was completely empty. Levi looked up from his half-sprawled position on Eren at Erwin. The blond man met his gaze, and there was a slight frown on his face.

 _~We did our best,~_ those vivid blue eyes seemed to say.

Levi checked a sigh. Yes, they'd done their best. Sometimes that just wasn't enough, though.

"How is Eren?" inquired Erwin, distracting from the subject of their failure to get the exo station beyond city boundaries.

"Stable," answered Hange. She lifted the singer's eyelids one at a time and shone a little flashlight into his eyes, passing the beam over them twice each. "His pupils aren't responding to light stimulus. He's in a coma."

Levi closed his eyes and pinched his lips tightly. He took a few steadying breaths, frightened as much by the force of his emotions as he was by Eren's unresponsive condition. He clenched his hands into fists, wishing he could have gotten them around Rod Reiss' throat to crush it in a Hange-like act of vengeance. Now the bastard might get away with what he did to Eren and to the world.

"Hey." Kenny nudged the captain with his boot. "That kid's got more spunk than most people give him credit for, you little shit. Don't get all emo about it. He'll probably pull through."

Levi felt annoyance bubble within him, distracting him from the sick feeling of despair. He knew Eren had "spunk". He never would have gone for him, otherwise. He glared up at his uncle, keeping his face carefully blank despite the heat of his gaze. "I don't need advice from the likes of you, asshole."

"Whoo-ee, you really are the most ungrateful little cocksucker I've ever seen. You should treat me nicer, Levi. If it weren't for me, you and your friends would probably be barbeque chunks right about now."

"If it weren't for you helping Reiss in the first place, we might not be in this mess," Hange pointed out, also glaring up at Kenny. "Careful, toothpick. You're within throttling distance."

Kenny's eyes widened slightly, and he grinned. "Those are fighting words, missy. Care to back that up?"

Hange's responsive grin was mad and feral looking. "I could snap you like a twig. You'd make excellent fire kindling, Kenny. Oh, I'd call you 'Ackerman', but you don't deserve that surname."

She started to get up, but Erwin barked a sharp command. "That's enough. In case you haven't noticed, we are in an aircraft with limited space and a wounded soldier that needs tending to. The both of you need to back off. We can't afford fighting amongst ourselves right now."

Hange squatted back down with a grumble, bracing herself with one hand on the chair behind her for balance. "Yes sir."

Kenny looked at Erwin sharply. "Hey, you just called the kid a 'soldier'."

Erwin nodded. "I did."

Kenny stared at him, and a look of dawning comprehension spread over his features. "Shit. You got your memories back, didn't you?"

When Erwin didn't respond except to keep holding his gaze, Kenny blinked with amazement. "How'd you do it?"

Erwin glanced at Hange, and Kenny followed his gaze. "Oh, the crazy geek! I get it now! So what'd you do, honey? Cook up some witches' brew for your pals?"

"If I could manage to produce enough saliva for a loogie," Hange said through clenched teeth, "I'd spit on your boot."

Kenny laughed, and he tensed a little when the helicopter shook again from the continued explosions happening on the Star Kraken. "Is that so? Why, you wanna give them a nice spit-shine? Hey, you're full of piss and vinegar. I like that in a gal. You single?"

"Don't go there," Moblit said, hands clenching.

Kenny looked at the blond with raised brows. "Oh, so you're the boyfriend, huh? Ya seem kind of meek for the likes of this amazon. How about it, Hange? I could give you a taste of good old Ackerman sausage if you want to see what it's like to be with a _real_ man. Uh, present company excluded." He nodded at Levi. "Obviously there's only one real Ackerman man in here and it ain't the shrimp."

"Kenny, it would be in your best interests right now to practice the art of silence," warned Erwin, his gaze like blue ice on the tall Ackerman. "If I hear so much as one more word from you, I'll take great delight in revoking our bargain and tossing you from this aircraft myself. Stand down. _Now_."

Kenny, for all his bluster, was actually intimidated by Erwin's confident, chill warning. He lapsed into silence with a shrug, but the quiet only lasted for a few moments.

"Hey Levi, I've been wondering since running into you again: do you put it to Eren, or does he put it to you?"

Nanaba made an announcement before Levi could give his outraged response. "Everyone, 'Code B-L'."

Levi bowed his head and situated himself more firmly over Eren. Hange also piled onto Eren, while Moblit and Erwin both leaned forward to duck and cover as if preparing for a crash. In the dark, Kenny looked at them all in perplexity. "What the hell—"

The chopper suddenly banked left so sharply and abruptly that Kenny's head struck the back of his seat, hard enough to give him whiplash and knock him unconscious. He slumped bonelessly in his safety harness, out cold.

"Thank you, Nanaba," Moblit called once the chopper leveled out again.

"Believe me, it was my pleasure," she answered with a smirk.

* * *

People watched in amazement and fear as the humongous exo station came streaking down from the sky, crashing into the south side of town with a rumble and a tremor that could be felt for miles. Dust, flames, debris and smoke went up into the air, and firefighters rushed to the scene along with law authorities, allied soldiers and UFI agents. Nanaba came in for a landing near a local hospital after confirming that there were no titan threats in the area, and they got Eren loaded onto a stretcher and transported inside.

"Levi, it can wait," Erwin called after speaking to Mike over the phone. He grabbed the captain's arm when Levi tried to follow medical staff into the hospital. "There are pressing matters for you to attend to."

Levi started to snarl a protest, but then he saw the solemn look on Erwin's handsome face. "What happened?"

"I just spoke with Mike," answered Erwin gently. "We have a man down."

Levi searched the commander's eyes. "Who?"

Erwin found it hard to hold that quietly desperate gaze, but he managed. "Jinn. I have the coordinates. I'll rendezvous with you. You shouldn't go alone." Erwin showed him the text sent to him by Mike with said coordinates.

Levi didn't respond, except to give his gear a quick check and fire off his grapplers. "Hange, Moblit...stay with Eren," he called as he shot off.

"Damn it, Levi...wait!"

Erwin followed him, soaring over the ravaged city behind his diminutive friend. He kept a sharp eye out for any remaining titans as he tried to keep up with the captain, worried that his frame of mind would jeopardize Levi's reactions and put him at risk. He dove through the smoke, desperate to keep Levi in sight. It appeared that the titan slaying teams had dispatched nearly all of the threats to the ground, though. Erwin saw no flares and nothing of the dropped titans save steaming, evaporating remains. He finally caught up with Levi when the smaller man made it to the rooftop coordinates that Mike had sent, and Erwin caught his breath as he landed.

On her knees and cradling the upper half of Eld's bloody remains was Petra. Mike, Sasha and Connie stood by quietly as the small ginger sobbed and rocked Eld in her arms. He'd been bitten cleanly in half. Everything from the waist down was gone, and his entrails snaked over the pavement. Mike had warned it was bad, but Erwin was not prepared for the horror of the sight. It was just like in the past. He stared at Eld's blank, staring face, and he vaguely heard Levi's voice speak softly through the ringing in his ears.

"No. Not this. Oh, no."

Petra looked up at Levi as he approached, and her face was streaked with tears, soot and blood. "Sir, I...I...I...he...he got in f-front of me and...and..."

At once, Petra threw her head back and started wailing to the heavens.

Levi knelt beside her, and he caught up her face in his hands. "Oi. Look at me. _Look at me_ , Petra."

Shaking, she did as he asked. Levi gave her right cheek a light smack, holding her eyes. "Buckle down, girl. That's an order. Save the grief for later. Eld's killers are still out there. I'll be your partner, okay? We'll take them down together."

Petra sniffed, blinked and nodded convulsively. Anger stole over her delicate features, and the pallor of her skin became replaced with a flush of pure rage. "Let's do it, sir."

Levi stood up, and he offered her his hand. "Let him go, Petra. Mike and the others will take care of him. You and I have business."

She gently released Eld's body and she took Levi's hand, her amber eyes drying with her thirst for revenge. She stood up to face him. She was the only person present shorter than Levi other than Connie, but her petite form was clearly charged with energy. "Yes. For Eld."

Levi nodded in approval. He turned to face Erwin and the others, and his eyes were like molten silver in the dying rays of the sun. "Weapons. Gas. I'm low, and so is Petra. We'll need what you guys can spare." He nodded at Sasha and Connie, clearly addressing them.

"O-okay sir," Connie said with an unhappy frown, "but what if we get attacked?"

"There's going to be air transport coming with a body bag. They'll pick you all up before any remaining shit-fucks get close. Right, Erwin?"

Erwin nodded. His throat was tight. He knew that look in Levi's eyes. He was thirsting for payback, swallowing his pain. "Yes. I already called it in, Levi."

He still loved him. He tried not to, but seeing Levi Ackerman's strength in the face of loss and semi-defeat made it impossible for him not to. Erwin hardened his resolve. He would honor their fallen comrade...honor Levi's devotion. "I'm coming with you."

That gave Levi pause. He stopped checking his equipment to regard Erwin searchingly. He didn't object, but instead replied softly. "You sure about that, chief?"

Erwin nodded. "My fuel supply is still nearly full. My blades haven't been used. I think it's time I wetted them with titan blood, Captain."

Levi's lips gave a half-hearted twitch that could have passed for a smirk, were he not so miserable. "Damned right."

* * *

Petra was convinced that she'd somehow predicted Eld's death. There was no other explanation for it, in her mind. Without the benefit of Hange's memory tonic, she had no other logical way to determine why she'd been plagued with images of Eld bitten in half, nor Gunther hanging dead by a wire. There was also another guy that she believed she'd just made up, yelling at her to get higher off the ground. Aside from that, she had no idea of who she'd been in the past. All that she knew now was rage. All she wanted to do was avenge the death of a man she'd come to care for, respect, and even consider potential husband material.

" _Die_!" She screamed in a fury, closing in on the first available target she saw. She came in streaking like a small ginger comet, blades drawn, lips pulled back from her teeth in a snarl of rage. The titan never saw what hit it.

"Nicely done," she heard Erwin compliment. "I'll take care of the one a block over."

She barely registered his words. She was hacking and slashing her prey to bits, even though it was already down. She felt the presence of someone else drop down behind her, and her superior's strong arms were suddenly around her waist, pulling her back.

"Petra! Stick with me, kid. You took it out. You'll dull your blades and we've got a limited supply. Breathe, Petra. Breathe."

She shuddered and went limp in his arms, much like Eren did earlier in the day when he'd had an attack of rage and Levi had to intervene. She sniffed, released the catch and dropped her scarred and dulled blades to the concrete. "Yes sir. I'm okay." She replaced the damaged blades with fresh ones, and she looked up. "There's a red flare that way. It looks like the remaining team has some extra opposition."

"Then we go to them."

Levi stepped back and allowed her to re-adjust. He looked off in the direction that Erwin had gone, and the commander came back in seconds to land on the vaporizing carcass they were standing on.

"The way is clear," reported Erwin, his uniform still steaming with the titan blood splashed onto it. "We're following you, Levi. Where is the next target?"

"That way." Levi pointed at the flares. "We go that way. Flank me."

Erwin and Petra both readily complied.

* * *

-To be continued


	40. Chapter 40

It was grueling work, bringing down titans. Erwin had forgotten how much effort it took, but he was charged with energy like his companions. It seemed harder in this life; possibly because he wasn't doing it on a regular basis. In addition, there was emotional upheaval he hadn't experienced in this life. He'd lost agents in the field. That part wasn't new to him. Losing them to titan aggression was somehow worse to him. He reckoned it was because the titans had no real motive behind their murderous actions. They just mindlessly thirsted for human flesh and human blood. There was something horrifying about people getting eaten alive, and each time his blades sliced into titan flesh, he imagined what Eld's last moments must have been like. The man had died for humanity, just as he had in the previous life. Perhaps more importantly than that, he'd died to protect his comrade.

Erwin yelled with unexpected rage as he carved the nape out of yet another titan's neck, right before it would have put a struggling civilian in its yawning mouth. The creature fell with the screaming woman still clutched in its hand, and Erwin swooped in to catch her when the titan's fingers opened in death. She never hit the ground, thanks to his timely rescue. He landed with her trembling form in his arms, and he gently set her down on the street. Both of them were splashed with hot titan blood, but he hardly noticed it.

"Miss, can you walk?"

She nodded shakily. "I can't thank you enough, sir. You saved my life!"

"My pleasure," he said graciously. "Now, you need to get underground until we've finished dealing with this threat. There's a subway entrance a block away with policeman guarding it. I'll escort you there."

He would have asked her why she hadn't evacuated to underground shelter in the first place, but he reckoned she'd already been through enough. Perhaps she'd been under the belief that as long as she stayed indoors, she'd be safe enough. The titan had smashed through the windows of a three story apartment building to get at her when Erwin arrived on the scene. It must have been her residency. As he began to escort her to the subway, Levi and Petra came in for a landing in front of him. Levi raised a questioning brow, probably wondering the same thing as Erwin concerning what any civilian was doing above ground in this part of town.

"She's all right," Erwin explained. "I'm taking her to the nearest subway entrance so that she can get below ground. You two should go on without me to assist Mikasa and Jean with the remaining cleanup. I'll catch up with you after seeing this young woman to safety."

Levi nodded. "Agreed. See you there. Come on, Petra."

"Sir!" She gamely followed as he took to the air again.

* * *

Levi took down two more titans solo on their way to their comrade's coordinates. Petra assisted him with a third, and they were both covered in titan blood by the time they made it to their destination. They saw Mikasa first, going in for a nape strike against a big fifteen meter titan. The creature stumbled, and Levi had his answer concerning where Kirstein was. He'd hamstrung the creature to assist Mikasa.

Petra followed his lead as Levi landed in the street a yard or two away from the titan as it crashed, dead before it hit the ground. Mikasa landed on the titan's shoulder, and she checked her blades before noticing Levi and Petra's approach. She sheathed the weapons, and she saluted Levi sharply.

"Captain," greeted the young woman. "We've cleared three square blocks. As far as we can tell, this neighborhood is titan-free now that this one is down."

Levi nodded. "Good. Have you checked in with Shadis for coordinates for any further titan sightings?"

Mikasa and Jean exchanged a frown, and the young man spoke up. "Our communication equipment is busted, so we've been operating on line of sight alone and questioning authorities from block to block." He smiled with some relief. "Good to see you made it out of that exo station, sir. We had no idea what the hell was going on with you guys up there."

Mikasa jumped down from her vanquished, evaporating prey, and she approached Levi with concern plain on her lovely, blood-stained features. "Where is Eren, sir? Is he safe?"

Levi kept his expression neutral, and his voice sounded steadier than he felt as he answered her truthfully. "He's safe, but he didn't make it through our mission unscathed. Eren is in the hospital right now. He's in a coma. Hange and Moblit are with him."

Mikasa's devastated look came as no surprise. "What happened?"

"He used his coordinate to force cooperation from our enemies. It was too much for him." Levi looked off to the direction he and Petra had come from, where on the other side of the city in a cleared neighborhood, Eren lay in the hospital. "I wasn't there when it happened. We were separated. The important thing is that we made it out alive and he's getting the medical treatment he needs. Let's count our blessings."

"Shit," muttered Jean.

Levi took a slow breath, trying to take his mind off his own concern for Eren. He couldn't let himself get distracted by his lover's plight or the death of his second-in-command. "Where is Arlert? I assume he's still out on the job given to him?"

Mikasa seemed to shake herself out of it with difficulty. "Yes. We spoke to him just before I lost my earpiece. He's four blocks over to the south, or at least, that was where we last saw him."

"How about Sasha and Connie?" Jean asked. "Any idea how they're doing, Captain?"

"The last time I saw them, I relieved them of duty and we took their spare blades and gas. Mike was with them, and they should be picked up by air transport by now. Probably heading to the hospital. Hold tight; I'm going to contact Shadis and find out how many titan spottings he can get through satellite imagery and where their coordinates are. I want this finished tonight."

They waited in silence as he used his mobile rather than the communication channel to contact Shadis directly. "General Shadis, it's agent Ackerman, here. The city's nearly cleared of all titans. I need confirmation and general coordinates of any further sightings you can give me."

Levi waited for the man to check the data. He listened to what Shadis said, and he felt some mild surprise and a little unreasonable disappointment when the guy got back to him with the results. "Huh, that's all? All right, we'll take care of it. I'll report in when we've eliminated them all. Thank you, sir."

He put away his phone, and he regarded the others as Erwin joined them at their location. "We stick together to finish this. There are only five live titans left. That's one kill each. Once we've cleared them, we'll notify Arlert and meet up with him later at the hospital where they've taken Eren. We'll need to go to the crash site and clear any titans remaining on that thing, as well. The explosions and impact wouldn't be enough to kill them."

"This task would go more quickly if we split up," suggested Erwin.

Levi looked up at his superior, and he shook his head. "No. I want everyone within each others' sight at all times. I'm not losing another soldier today."

Mikasa and Jean glanced at one another. The former spoke up. "Sir, why are you so insistent on grouping up? Who did we lose?"

Levi lowered his gaze. "Eld. He was fighting titans with Petra when it happened. I didn't see it."

Petra choked and covered her mouth with her hand at that reminder, and Mikasa looked at her with shocked sympathy.

"Damn," swore Jean.

"We stay together," Levi reiterated firmly. "The remaining titans aren't far from one another. Let's finish this and regroup."

Not even Erwin argued with his logic.

* * *

While Levi and the remaining titan slayers worked together to finish off what was left of the creatures, the city and the brass investigated the crash site of the exosphere station and the escape shuttles they'd tracked exiting the vessel. The fire department was there along with ambulances and paramedics, putting out fires and searching through the rubble and shrapnel for survivors. The titan slayers finished off the last of the loose titans, and then they went to the crash site to assist in case any live titans remained in the exo station. Erwin cautioned the rescue workers to be wary and leave any titans they found to him and the others on his team.

There _were_ titans remaining on the vessel, but they were all in the capsules that the Star Kraken had been dropping on the city. Amazingly, only a couple of the containment capsules were damaged in the crash, and Levi took them out immediately after Erwin got on the phone with Hange and asked her how to open the containers. They only put up a weak struggle, and the others were still in a hibernation state. It seemed the operatives in charge of releasing the titans onto the metropolis used a release button before making each drop, so that by the time the encapsulated monsters touched down, they were able to wake and free themselves from containment.

"Sturdy fucking things," Levi grunted as he and Mikasa finished off the last two titans. The holding chambers themselves were evidently built to withstand fire and heavy impact, because they were virtually the only part of the vessel that were still mostly intact.

Now that their part was over with, the group retreated back outside the dangerously unstable exo station to let the military and rescue workers take care of the rest. They did find what was left of one escape shuttle remaining on board, but none of the charred remains they located could be immediately identified. No surviving humans were found on board, and the scant remains they could locate were bagged up and taken to forensics to attempt identification.

Rod Reiss wasn't found on any of the shuttles that had safely landed from the Star Kraken. Either he'd managed to get out and flee before authorities could come and detain him, or he'd perished on the exo station. There was little point in debating which possibility was most likely. Exhausted and filthy from their efforts to eliminate the titans, Levi and his group went to the hospital on the other side of town to meet up with their companions.

* * *

Madeline was sitting in Eren's hospital room when Levi arrived, sans his ODM gear and cape. The captain hadn't even bothered to wash up before coming; he was too focused on checking on his lover. Eren's mother had tear-reddened eyes, and when she looked up upon Levi's entry, she got out of the visitor chair and caught him up in a tight hug. Levi froze for a second, unsure of what to do as Madeline wept against his shoulder.

"Hange told me," explained Madeline in a quivering voice. "At least, she explained as best as she could. I still don't understand this...this coordinate thing. The doctors are talking about drilling a _hole_ in my baby's head, Levi! They say his brain is swelled and they need to relieve the pressure to help him come out of this coma!"

Levi patted her back, his narrowed gaze focusing on the still form of his lover. Eren looked a bit pale, but otherwise he might have been sleeping peacefully. "What does Hange think of that?"

"She's stalling them," answered Madeline with a sniff. "She says it may be necessary, but she wants to give Eren a chance to wake up on his own. Nobody has power of attorney though, so if they decide to go through with it, we can't stop them."

Levi sighed. It was frightening to think of someone drilling a hole in Eren's head, but it was even more frightening to think that he might never wake up. He wracked his mind for the best solution, but his brain was as weary as his body. He pulled gently away from her embrace, and he looked into her eyes. They reminded him of Eren's in shape, if not in color. All in all, Madeline didn't share many physical traits with her son, save the color and richness of her brown hair. It made sense, though. Eren was a dead ringer to his previous self in another life, just as Levi and the other reborn people were. It briefly made Levi wonder is reincarnation was the reason some people looked nothing like either of their parents.

It was almost a shame that Eren wasn't under twenty-one. If he were, then Madeline would still have power of attorney by default. That wasn't the case though, and the kid obviously hadn't considered making arrangements to assign anyone the authority to make medical decisions for him whenever he couldn't. Now that he thought of it, Levi needed to do that himself. Later, though. Right now, there were more immediate concerns.

"I think we should let them do whatever they need to do to bring him out of this," Levi finally said, admitting defeat. "Hange's not a neurosurgeon, but she knows enough about this shit to trust her judgment. If Eren doesn't come too in a few days, we're just going to have to buckle down and trust the doctors."

Madeline nodded, and she closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. A tear trickled out, followed by another one. Levi started to reach for his handkerchief to offer it to her, but then he realized it was sullied with titan blood and goop. He looked around and he found a tissue box on top of the wheeled dinner tray near the bed. He snatched up a couple tissues and he handed them to Eren's mom.

"I'm sorry this happened," Levi said softly. It ate at him to be so helpless. The whole reason he'd been reunited with Eren in this life was to protect him, and he'd failed at that. He heaved another sigh, and he sank down on the edge of Eren's bed. His hand automatically sought out Eren's nearest one, resting on top of it. With his other hand, he rubbed at his burning eyes. Too much titan blood splashing in his face, he excused.

Levi felt a slim hand rest on his shoulder, and he looked up at Madeline. There wasn't an ounce of blame on her pretty face. "He wanted to be at your side, and I know how stubborn my boy is. It was Eren's choice to use that...ability...of his, and you were separated from him at the time. At least...at least he's alive, and so are you."

Levi felt a warning tremor start in his legs, working its way up. His composure was shaken, and his exhaustion was making it worse. He didn't want to have a meltdown in front of Eren's mother. "Is it okay if I have a few minutes alone with him?" he asked, keeping his voice much calmer than he felt.

Madeline looked at her son, and then she nodded. She bent over and, unmindful of the mats in Levi's hair, she kissed the crown of his dark head. "Sure. You should talk to him, Levi. Maybe hearing your voice will help him. I've heard that sometimes, people in a coma can hear people's voices, or feel their touch. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but it couldn't hurt."

With that said, Madeline Jaeger left the room and closed the door behind her. Levi turned to look down at Eren, and he squeezed the singer's limp hand. "Eren," he murmured, "you need to snap out of it. The BRS and Satellite Core are finished. Their organizations are getting disbanded by the government and those bastards are going on trial for crimes against humanity. You'll be safe now...at least from them. Everyone's waiting for you, so wake up."

There was no response. Not even a flicker of motion behind Eren's eyelids. Levi swallowed and bowed his head. He released Eren's hand, and he stroked his hair. Someone had cleaned Eren up. He was going to get his hair dirty, if he kept petting it with his filthy hand. Still, he didn't stop. He tried to imagine what it would be like for the surgeons to shave part of Eren's scalp and poke a hole through it, and another tremor went through him.

"Wake up, brat," he practically begged.

* * *

"Wait, they want to put a _hole_ in his head?" Connie's eyes were wide as he stared at Hange in disbelief. They were at a hotel not far from the hospital that had managed to remain undamaged during the chaos. It was past midnight now, and the band met up with Hange in the room she was sharing with Moblit to discuss what was going on with Eren.

"That's a fairly common way to relieve pressure on the brain stem when someone's had swelling or fluid build up," Armin explained, seeming less alarmed by the prospect than the others. "It might sound barbaric, but it's been a successful method for a good while."

"They couldn't come up with anything better than taking a drill to his cranium?" Jean frowned. "Jaeger's already flaky enough without a hole in his head. I'd have thought they'd have a more advanced option by now, like with lasers or something."

"The method they use is much less involved than it once was," Hange assured them. "Don't picture them going at Eren's skull with some kind of power drill you'd use in construction. They'll cut away a small piece to let any excess fluid drain, and they'll replace what they remove with a biodegradable mesh that will allow the bone to regenerate. While the bone grows back, the plug will be absorbed by the tissue and with time, Eren's head will be as good as new...and just as hard as it ever was."

"Yes but still...we're talking about a hole in Eren's head." Sasha grimaced. "What if they cut too deep and cause brain damage?"

"They have a specialist they can call in, and I've heard of the man," Hange explained. "He's got a spotless reputation for his neurological work. If it makes any of you feel any better, I've convinced them to let me observe while the surgery is done. If I see any potential mistakes, I'll speak up."

That did seem to comfort them somewhat. Mikasa was brooding and silent, her thoughts clearly consumed with her comatose friend. Hange walked over to the mute bassist, and she squeezed her shoulder. "This is only assuming Eren can't come out of it on his own before the neurosurgeon arrives. You know how determined that boy is, Mikasa. There's a chance he could wake up by himself."

"Better than having a hole in his head," muttered Reiner. He was sporting some bandaging on his head himself, having sustained a minor head injury during the initial drop when one of the titans smashed through the window and swiped him across the room.

"Where is Mrs. Jaeger?" asked Armin.

"A couple of doors down from us." Hange gave a nod to the right. "I gave her something to calm her nerves, and Moblit's watching over her now. Erwin and Mike escorted Kenny to Shadis and I guess they're reporting to him now. Farlan and Isabel are in custody along with all of the others they've arrested. Oh, shit!"

She widened her eyes, just remembering something important. "Tarsus Valley! I got a message from Annie while we were out doing cleanup, and she said another exo station was dropping titans on TV."

Hange pulled out her cellphone, nearly dropping it in her haste. She quickly selected Annie Leonhart's contact number and she brought the phone to her ear while the others gaped. "She isn't picking up. Damn it!"

Hange waited for the message beep, and she spoke into the phone. "Annie, it's your former boss. I haven't heard back from you about the situation there. Don't leave me hanging, all right? You'd better not be dead, girl."

"So _our_ home town is under attack right now too?" Jean swore, and he got out his cellphone.

The others did the same, each of them trying to reach friends and loved ones in that area. Reiner turned on the television and flipped through the channels in the hopes of finding some news broadcast relating to the issue, but all channels were still offline. While they did that, Hange tried a different approach. She used her phone again to contact Erwin. He didn't sound very pleased to be interrupted in his task, but Hange quickly explained the situation to him.

"So you see Erwin, we don't know what's been happening over there, and I was hoping you could find out through Shadis, or contact UFI headquarters in TV and see if you can find anything out from them."

"Very well," answered the UFI director. "I'll see what I can learn and get back to you. Give me some time to finish up here and I'll get back to you as soon as I have information."

"Thanks, Erwin." Hange hung up. There was nothing more she could do.

* * *

A while later, close to dawn, Hange crept into Eren's hospital room to check on him and Levi. The captain was reclined in the visitor chair with his arms folded over his chest, his boots removed and his feet propped up. It looked like he'd made use of the bathroom connecting to the room to wash up a bit; his face and hands were clean and his hair was still slightly damp. His closed eyes were lined with shadows of exhaustion. Hange paused before Eren's bed, and she looked around. Someone—probably a nurse—had dropped off a pillow and a blanket in the other visitor chair, but they'd evidently been too intimidated to wake Levi and offer it. Hange picked the items up, and she propped the pillow under Levi's head before shaking the blanket loose and covering him up with it.

Levi's eyes snapped open with startling abruptness, and Hange bit back a yelp as he sat up.

"It's just me, grump," she soothed, backing up a step. "I came to check on you. Want some tea?"

Hange shook the bottle of sweet tea she'd bought from a vending machine for him. It wasn't his favorite, but it was tea.

Levi rubbed his eyes and pushed the footrest in, nodding. He took the offering and unscrewed the cap. He must have been thirstier than she thought, because he chugged down half of it without complaint before setting it down on the floor beside his chair.

"How is he?" Hange asked, nodding at Eren.

"The same." Levi's eyes seemed glassy as he glanced at his lover. "He hasn't so much as twitched, yet. What time is it?"

"Nearly sunrise," she answered, checking her watch. "I've got some news for you, if you're up to hearing it."

"All right. Let's hear it."

Hange had a seat in the other visitor chair, and she threaded her fingers together in her lap. "They _did_ begin another titan drop on Tarsus Valley yesterday, but it got aborted. It seems there was a mutiny on the exo station. Some of the staff wanted no part of it when they got their orders, and they sabotaged the operation and took control of that exo station. Unfortunately, seven titans did get dropped before they put a stop to it, and there was quite a bit of structural damage, as well as a few injuries and three confirmed deaths. The military evacuated the civilians, and with the help of the UFI branch there, they managed to contain the titans in one neighborhood and eventually take them down."

She shook her head with a sigh. "It took a lot of firepower, though. Pixis got in touch with the commanding general of the Army Brigade in those parts and told him where to aim to take the titans down. It could have been a lot worse though, and the mutineers landed the exo station safely off the grid and surrendered when our allies showed up to make arrests. All of Satellite Core and the BRS have been ordered to stand down and turn themselves in for trial and testimony."

Levi nodded. "What about Reiss? Any sign of him yet?"

Hange started to grin like the cat that swallowed the canary.

"Well?" Levi's voice became snappy with impatience.

"Oh, they found Reiss...or what was left of him. Forensics identified his dental records. His remains were in the escape shuttle launch chamber, and a few SC operatives confirmed that they saw him go in there just before the self-destruct sequence was activated. He must have done that, but for some reason, he didn't make it off the Star Kraken. Maybe he lingered too long hoping the tide would turn and he could abort, or maybe something went wrong with his shuttle. Either way, he's not a problem anymore. All that's left is to round up and prosecute his co-conspirators and supporters. We did it, Levi."

Levi frowned, and Hange tilted her head. "I thought this news would make you happy. Instead you just look more irritated."

"Maybe because I wanted to bury the fucker myself," muttered Levi. He glanced at Eren's unconscious form, and his sculpted features softened. "But you're right. With the cog missing, the wheel can't turn. Hopefully this will be the end of it. They'd better keep a careful eye on Research Intel and confiscate any titan research they might still be holding onto."

"Agreed. In fact, I'm going to try enlisting in Research Intel when things settle down." Hange shrugged. "I thought of starting my practice back up, but after all this, I think my talents would be put to better use in that department, keeping an eye out for any mischief. I talked to Erwin about it, and he thinks it's a good idea. He's going to see what he can do to pull strings and get me in."

"Heh, so you'll still be a double-agent, of sorts."

Hange shrugged again, and she grinned. "You have to admit, I'm pretty good at it."

"Yeah, I'll give you that." Levi picked up his tea and had another sip. "What about Farlan and Isabel? Moblit, too. Are they serving time?"

"Moblit is getting pardoned for his assistance in bringing them down and his testimony against the enemy factions," answered Hange. "He'll essentially be on probation for a year, but no jail time for him. As for Isabel and Farlan, they were essentially ignorant about what Satellite Core was planning to do, up until right before the Star Kraken came down and started bombarding the city. Because of their affiliation, they'll probably have to do a little time, but I've been assured they'll be treated well and they'll testify too. They should be out in a few months and free to get on with their lives."

Hange smiled softly at him. "Speaking of which, I got the chance to speak with the both of them briefly, and they've expressed an interest in joining the UFI. They want to work with their 'big bro', whenever they've finished serving their time."

"Tch, seriously?" Levi couldn't help a small smirk at that. "I don't know if they'll qualify, but if they're serious, I can see what can be done."

He sobered, and he stared blankly at his bottle of tea. "We need to plan Eld's funeral. I know he wanted to be cremated. I remember that discussion one night. We were having some drinks and somehow the subject turned to what we'd want done with our bodies when we die. Can't remember who brought it up."

"They're working on getting all of that information; his last will and testament, his life insurance, his estate. It could take a day or two, but—"

"I know where he kept it," Levi interrupted. "In his apartment in Trost there's a lock box in the top shelf of his closet. It's a combination lock, and I've got the code. It should have all of that in there."

Hange blinked, and then her features softened on her friend. "I might have known he would entrust you with that. Even in this life without his former memories, he had a world of respect and trust for you. Do you want to fly back to Trost to retrieve it yourself, or would you rather have someone else fetch it and bring it to you?"

Levi considered it. "I don't want to leave Eren here, and Eld wanted his ashes to be scattered over his grandfather's grave in Trost. I've gotta respect his wishes, but Eren shouldn't be moved until he's out of the danger zone, and if doesn't wake up in time..." He trailed off, clearly torn.

"I may have a solution," offered Hange. "If we need to, we can have Eld's remains cremated here, and we can hold our own funeral rites for him. We can bring his ashes to his family for you so they can comply with his wishes and lay him to rest at home."

Levi didn't look overly thrilled with the idea, but he nodded. "That might be our only choice. I don't know if any of his surviving family members know about the lockbox or the code, though."

"Then it will just have to wait until you can make it back, or I can bring it back to you, if none of his family members mention it. If they don't know about it then Eld might have had good reason to keep it from them."

Levi fought a grimace. "Yeah. We'll just play it by ear. Even if Eren wakes up before we've got to take care of Eld's remains, he might not be clear to travel for a while."

Hange looked down at the comatose singer with a sigh. It was such a pity that this happened to Eren, and it wouldn't have been this way if the BRS hadn't gotten their hands on him. There was nothing to be done for it right now except to wait, watch and hope, though. Hange got up, and she reached into her jacket pocket for a bottle of pills. She opened it and she shook a couple out, offering them on her open palm to Levi.

"No," grumbled the agent immediately.

"Sweetheart, you need your rest," she insisted. "It's just a mild anxiety pill to help you sleep. You don't want to look like a ghoul when Eren wakes up, do you?"

Levi frowned and touched his pale features briefly. "Do I really look that shitty?"

Hange shrugged. "Your eyes seem a little sunken and bruised. You're pooped, so just take these and hold onto them. If you can't get some rest, then take one and see how it goes, okay? I'm just looking out for you."

Grumbling, Levi took the offered pills, and he slipped them into his own jacket pocket. "We'll see. Get some rest yourself, four eyes."

"Oh, I plan to." Hange smiled, and she paused to stroke Eren's hair in a brief, fond gesture. "I'll check in again around noon-ish, okay?"

"Sure."

* * *

Another full day passed, and Levi woke up after a nap to the sound of Madeline singing a lullaby. He stretched painfully and he straightened up in his chair. He was sore and aching from sleeping in the recliner, but aches and pains were nothing new to him. He rubbed the sleep from his burning eyes and he opened them to look blearily around. Madeline had scooted the other visitor chair up to Eren's bed, and she was rubbing his arm as she sang to him.

"This was his favorite as a child," she whispered between verses when she noticed Levi stir. She gave the agent a nostalgic little smile. "He learned it so fast. He could sing the words better than he could form complete sentences just talking."

Given Eren's demonstrated musical talent in this lifetime, that came as no surprise to Levi. He got up, stretched a little and he stepped up to Eren's bedside. "Any response yet?"

Madeline closed her eyes and shook her head. "I exercised his limbs while you were resting. The doctors say that will help bloodflow and stave off muscle deterioration while he's out. They're planning to do the procedure tonight at nine, Levi."

Levi narrowed his eyes. "You mean the hole drilling thing?"

A tear fell free to trickle down the woman's cheek, and she nodded silently. Her voice broke on the next verse of the nursery rhyme, and Levi moved around to her side of the bed to put a hand on her shoulder. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Oh...yesterday evening, I think. I had some grapes."

"Not acceptable." Levi took her free hand, and he urged her to get up. "Starving yourself won't help your son, all right? You should go to the cafeteria and eat something, if you don't want to leave the hospital. The meals here aren't bad, for hospital food."

"I'm just not hungry," she sighed.

Levi bent over a little to look into her teary eyes. "I'm not going to stand here and let you waste away, all right?"

Madeline started to weep softly, in earnest. She gestured at her son. "H-how can I eat when he _can't_?"

"They have him on a feeding tube," Levi assured her, feeling his throat tighten. "He's not starving, and he's getting fluids. I'm not asking you to eat a four-course fucking meal, I'm just asking you to get something nourishing in your stomach. Some soup, maybe, or a little fruit. You've got to eat something."

He nearly told her that he'd watched his own mother wither away, sick with disease and malnourishment. That was his mother in the other life though, and this wasn't about him. He banished the memory of himself as a waif of a child, trying to force stale porridge into his dead mother's mouth, trying to get her to eat and unable to comprehend why she wouldn't wake up.

"Please," sighed Levi. "Do it for Eren. I'll stay here with him while you get a bite, okay? I won't go anywhere."

Madeline stared at him, and then she wiped her eyes with her fingers and nodded. She forced a smile, touched Levi's cheek fondly and let him help her out of the chair. "All right. I'll find something to nibble. I want you to _call me_ if you notice even a twitch from Eren, though."

"Yes ma'am," promised Levi. He walked her to the door. "You have my word, you'll be the first one I contact if there's any change."

He shut the door behind her, and he looked back over his shoulder at Eren. Levi combed his fingers through the longer, top part of his undercut hairstyle, and he walked back over to Eren's bedside. He sat down on the edge of it and he just watched the steady, slow rise and fall of the singer's chest for a while. Finally, Levi started to speak to him.

"Eld is gone. If you can really hear people talking near you, then you probably already know that. We have to make funeral arrangements soon. Can't keep his remains in deep freeze forever, you know? I have to be there to pay my respects. I can't leave you, though."

Levi heaved a sigh, and he frowned at his lover. "Eren, you need to wake up. I...I..."

The door banged open, startling Levi enough to make him jump to his feet and reach for weapons he didn't even have on him. He relaxed and he rolled his eyes when Hange strode in. "Don't you ever think to knock, shitty glasses?"

"Sure I do, if I think someone might be in a bathroom I want to use or I'm walking into an office or bedroom. I didn't think I needed to knock in this case." She smirked at him. "Why, were you taking advantage of our boy's unconscious body or something?"

"Don't be disgusting." Levi scowled. "So what do you want?"

"Just to check in and see how he's doing, and how you're holding up." Hange went to the visitor's chair that Madeline had been sitting in, and she had a seat in it. "No changes yet?"

He shook his head. "Nothing yet, and they're doing that surgery tonight. I've tried talking to him. I've even tried pleading with the bastard, but Eren's still out cold. It's too bad Reiss bit it."

Hange frowned at that. "Why? I mean besides the fact that you wanted to be the one to cut him down yourself."

Levi met her gaze. "Because he caused this. He woke up Eren's coordinate, and he might have been able to undo it and get him out of this coma."

Hange suddenly stiffened in her seat, sitting up straighter. One could almost imagine a light bulb clicking on over her messy ponytail. "Say that again."

Levi shrugged. "Reiss did this to him. He might be the only one that could _undo_ it."

Hange started to grin, and she shook her head. "Not the only one. Oh, Levi, you're brilliant!"

His brows pinched. "I am? Why?"

Hange laughed, low and breathy. "This is perfect. Reiss wasn't the only one that could undo what was done to Eren. I was there, remember? I saw the project, and I saw how they triggered his coordinate. It's possible that his _coordinate_ is what's causing the swelling in his brain, and if that's the case, puncturing his skull to relieve the pressure may not do anything for him. Think about it: Eren didn't suffer any head trauma or otherwise experience a medical condition that commonly causes this issue. Ordinary human beings were obviously never meant to use the coordinate. Eren was a titan shifter in his past life, and even then he had difficulty with his abilities. As an ordinary man, he's not designed to handle the coordinate."

Levi felt a stirring of hope in his breast. "Are you saying you think you can get rid of the coordinate and that might take down the swelling in his brain so he can wake up?"

Hange nodded. "It's possible, and I won't need to drill a hole in his skull to do it. The procedures they put Eren through awoke a part of his brain that in turn triggered the coordinate, and now his body can't cope with it because he lacks his shifter regeneration talent. His brain is basically trying to keep up with having that part awakened, and it can't keep up. If I can make it go dormant by reversing the treatment they did to him, it could stop the swelling and theoretically, Eren will go back to normal."

"You're talking about cutting off his access to part of his brain," Levi said dubiously. "Won't that cause brain damage?"

"No, because it's a part he wasn't supposed to be using in the first place. If I succeed, all it will do is turn him back into the same old Eren—minus the coordinate and the negative side effects of having it."

Levi's mind started to race. It was a hell of a lot better than what the doctors here had planned to deal with it, and if Hange's right, it would be pointless surgery. "So what do you need to pull this off?"

"I still have all of my research notes from when I was spying on the BRS. I know how the formula was made. Now keep it in mind, Eren has always had this ability, and he may have accessed a fraction of it from time to time without realizing it before they did this treatment on him. However, what Reiss did accelerated it and 'woke it up' completely, which is un-natural in Eren's current state of being. All I'm going to be doing is putting it back to sleep. Make sense?"

Levi shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. What are you waiting for, Hange? If you think you can do this and it can help him, then get your ass to work before night falls and they start prepping him for surgery. Madeline said they plan to do it at nine, so you've probably got until about eight to come up with that counter treatment and give him a dose of it."

"Right." Hange pulled out her cell phone and she dialed someone up. "Moblit, it's me. I'm going to need your assistance. Are you at our hotel room? Good. No, I don't need you to come here. I'll come to you with some medical supplies we're going to need. Hopefully they'll have it available in this hospital. What I need you to do is hack into the system and write up the following prescriptions for me to pick up at the hospital's pharmacy. Of course, it's illegal. Just do it, okay? We could be saving a life with this." Hange nodded, and she spoke again. "Good boy. Call me back when it's ready. We've only got about four hours to pull this off, so make it snappy. Here are the prescriptions I need."

Levi listened while she rattled off the names of medications that sounded like some crazy science experiment—and he supposed that was exactly what this was. Hange finished her call and hung up, and she looked at Levi with a sigh.

"Now we can only wait. I know Moblit will come through for us. Just try to be patient, Levi."

"Patient," he repeated, frowning. Patience was hard to come by when they were racing against the clock to try and save Eren Jaeger.

* * *

-To be continued


	41. Chapter 41

Levi could feel every minute tick by like hammers striking at his already taut nerves. He kept checking his watch and clicking his tongue, willing Hange and Moblit to work faster. Not _too_ fast, though. If they rushed it, they could make a costly mistake in whatever concoction they were making for Eren's treatment, and that could kill him. He looked at his still lover. Eren really did look like he was sleeping peacefully, but for the IV in his arm and the tubes down his throat and up his nose. Levi shuddered. He hated hospitals. He hated seeing Eren hooked up to so many things. It was creepy, and his fingers itched to take it all off of him. He needed those attachments to live right now, though. He needed that thing clamped to his finger, monitoring his heart rate. Levi sighed, and he gently ruffled the singer's mussed brown hair. It was oily and needed a wash. He couldn't really judge, though. Levi was still wearing the same uniform clothes he'd been wearing since the mission that put Eren in this hospital. While he showered every day, the clothing wasn't getting any fresher.

The door to Eren's hospital room clicked open, and Levi sat up straighter with anticipation. When Erwin Smith entered instead of Hange or Moblit, the captain slumped a bit. "Hey," he greeted flatly to his superior.

"Hello, Levi." Erwin carried some neatly folded clothing in his arms, including some socks and a pair of lace up black shoes. He came in, approached Levi's seat, and he held the clothes out in offering. "I thought you might like a change of clothes. No offense intended, but that uniform smells rather ripe."

Levi blinked, and he sniffed at his shirt sleeve with a little grimace. How ironic that he'd just been thinking about that very thing, and here comes Smith with a fresh set of clothing. "What are you, a fucking mind reader or something?"

"Beg pardon?" Erwin tilted his head curiously.

"I was just thinking my clothes are pretty rank, and here you are with a fresh set, like some laundry god or something."

Erwin chuckled softly. "I simply know you, and I heard that you haven't set foot out of this facility since you came here. I presumed you didn't have access to a change of clothing, considering the hostel that you were staying in is now partly crushed. I picked these up at a local clothing shop. Hopefully they'll fit. I think I still remember your measurements correctly."

Levi had no doubt about that. Erwin's lingering feelings for him probably made it impossible for the man to forget any details of his memories of Levi's body. He didn't torment the man by bringing that fact up. He'd forgiven Erwin some time ago, and he had no further desire to punish his past actions.

"Thanks," Levi said, sincerely grateful. He took the offering, and he got up. "Can you hang out here long enough for me to shower and change into these?"

"Of course." Erwin had a seat, and he watched over Eren while his former lover made use of the bathroom connecting to the hospital room.

Levi left the door cracked so that he could speak to Erwin as he got cleaned up and changed. He didn't think anything of it until he came back out in his fresh clothes consisting of blue jeans and a black sweater. He exited the bathroom towel-drying his hair, still talking absently to the tall blond.

"So Hange and Moblit should be getting back pretty soon with this treatment they want to try. If it works...Erwin?" Levi came to a stop, peering at the bigger man from beneath his towel. Erwin was staring at him in a way that was all too familiar to Levi, and the agent cursed himself for being stupid enough to leave the door cracked while he was showering. Had Smith helped himself to a peek, or had he just been sitting there listening to the water, visualizing Levi wet and naked?

Erwin abruptly looked away, his expression tightening into a business-like mask. "So Hange believes she can correct Eren's condition?"

Levi slowly resumed toweling off his hair, now feeling a bit self-conscious. He couldn't stop the man from fantasizing about him. Erwin had at least earned the right to do that, but Levi really wished he would move on and find someone else to admire romantically. He felt unreasonably guilty for the director's misery, though he had done nothing to encourage his feelings for him.

 _~Then why did I practically shower in front of him? That's a kind of encouragement, right? Fuck, I'm such an idiot.~_

But the moment he thought it, Levi knew why he'd so casually left the door ajar while showering. Part of him was still used to bathing, dressing and undressing in front of Erwin. It was, for all intents and purposes, simply old habits refusing to die as would be proper. He hadn't meant it to be a deliberate act of teasing Erwin with something he couldn't have. He'd simply felt comfortable enough to keep talking to him while he cleaned up, and he'd been indifferent to the way it might effect his former lover.

"Yeah, Hange thinks the doctors here are making a mistake, treating this like ordinary head trauma. She doesn't think their solution is going to work, so she's going to try and reverse the treatment they did on him when the BRS got their filthy hands on him. She thinks his brain swelled because his body couldn't handle him using the coordinate so much. She wants to put that ability back in hibernation, and she thinks the swelling will go down if her treatment works."

"I see." Erwin looked at him again, and his piercing blue eyes were troubled. "Levi, I'm sorry."

Levi frowned, and he pulled the towel off of his head to style his damp hair with his comb. "About what?"

Erwin took a deep breath. "Had it not been for my suggestion, Eren might not have used that ability, and he might not be lying here now. I was the one that said he needed to come with us and try to manipulate the crew aboard the Star Kraken. My intention was to avoid as much bloodshed as possible, but now I see that was in error. I just hope to God that Hange's theory is right, and Jaeger recovers from this so that the two of you can live out your lives together."

Levi felt his throat tighten, and he swallowed. "Don't do that. Eren made his own choice, and he pushed himself too hard because he was worried about me. You can't take the blame for every bad thing that happens in a struggle for freedom. Everyone involved in that conflict took their own risks. Everyone put their lives on the line, including you, so I don't want to hear that shit come out of your mouth again."

Erwin smiled just the tiniest bit. There was a melancholy tone to that smile. "That's very gracious of you, Levi."

The dark-haired agent raised a thin, ironic brow. "Gracious?"

Erwin chuckled softly. "For _you_ , yes. It was gracious."

Levi managed a smirk. "Guess I have my moments."

The door banged open, making both men jump a little. Hange came hurrying in with Moblit at her heels, and she carried with her a syringe filled with liquid. "Sorry for the wait, Levi. Oh, hi Erwin!"

"Hello." Erwin got out of his seat, and he moved the chair out of the way so that Hange could approach Eren's bedside without obstruction. As she took the cap off the needle and reached for the IV line attached to Eren, the Director frowned a bit. "Hange, may I ask—"

"You're better off not asking, sir," she interrupted, keeping her eyes on her task as she pierced the injection port and began to slowly feed the medication into it. "Keep plausible deniability and don't ask how we got our hands on the ingredients for this treatment, all right?"

"Understood," agreed Erwin.

Levi went around to the other side of Eren's bed, staring down at him as the medication worked its way through the tube and into his veins. "Hang in there, kid," he whispered without even realizing it. He watched him intensely, and he found himself praying even though he was in no way spiritual. He glanced up when the amber medication stopped flowing.

"Is that it?" Levi questioned Hange.

"No," she answered. "Moblit, give me the next syringe."

"How many injections are you going to give him?" Erwin asked.

"Four, all together," she supplied absently, exchanging her empty syringe for the full one that Moblit gave to her. "That's how many they gave him before they started doing the shock treatments to—"

"Wait a minute," Levi snapped, alarmed. "You're not talking about shocking him, are you?"

Hange shook her head. "No. The use of electric shock was to help trigger the activation of that part of Eren's brain and force his cooperation. We aren't trying to wake anything up, other than Eren. We're trying to make his coordinate go dormant again so that he'll have a chance to come out of his coma. Shocking him wouldn't benefit anyone."

Levi relaxed a little. "How long do you think it's gonna take for us to start seeing results?"

"If my theory is right, the swelling in his brain should start to go down immediately, once the coordinate is back in remission. Eren should regain consciousness shortly after that. We're going to need to have him scanned to see the progress."

"And how do you plan to manage that?" Erwin asked.

Hange injected the second dose into the port, and she nodded toward Moblit. "He's bumped up the scheduled PET scan they already had on Eren's chart. They were going to do it a couple of hours before the surgery to see if there have been any notable changes in his brain activity and swelling. If our timing is right, they should be coming in here to take Eren for the scan in about a half an hour. That should be plenty of time for my treatment to start working, and even if Eren doesn't wake up right away, once they see that the swelling is going down on its own, they'll postpone the surgery Dr. Hanz isn't known for performing un-necessary surgery, so I'm sure he'll want to give it more time when he sees the scan results."

"You're basing a lot on assumption," Levi muttered. "What if it doesn't work fast enough, or the swelling doesn't go down significantly enough to convince him surgery isn't necessary?"

"Even if the difference between this scan and the last one they did isn't drastic, I'm confident it will be enough to give the surgeon reason to wait. Like I said, Levi: this guy's not a quack. If emergency surgery isn't needed, then he won't do it."

"I hope to hell you're right," sighed Levi.

* * *

They were sitting out in the waiting room with Madeline when the staff rolled Eren back into his hospital room. Madison, Hange and Levi immediately crowded the doctor outside the singer's door. Madeline had just come back to check on her son again ten minutes after they took him for the scan.

"Well, doctor? Do you have anything positive to tell us about my boy?" Madeline urged, clasping her hands together anxiously and visibly bracing herself.

"It's interesting," answered Dr. Hanz. He took his glasses off and he wiped them with a soft cloth he kept in his lab coat. "I compared yesterday's PET scan to today's, and the swelling has definitely gone down. We're hooking Mr. Jaeger up to an EEG machine to closely monitor his brain activity. So far, there appears to be more today than there was yesterday."

The man with the salt and pepper hair scratched his chin in a puzzled manner as he replaced his glasses. "Strange though; I could have sworn I had the patient scheduled to have that scan at seven pm, but there was apparently an error and they took him for it at six, instead. I was notified after they'd already begun it, so I had to rush to get there and supervise."

"Ah well, you know how computers are," Hange said benignly, giving a negligent wave of her hand. "Programs can have hiccups. I'm sure it wasn't the staff's fault. So, what are your thoughts, doctor? Do you think Eren can avoid the drill altogether?"

"I don't want to make any promises this early," he answered carefully, "but I'm very hopeful. If the swelling continues to go down, ma'am, he stands a decent chance of waking on his own and there won't be need for any surgical procedure."

"Can you do anything to speed it up?" Levi asked. "Some kind of medication or non-invasive treatment to help him snap out of it?"

"Sadly, we have yet to come up with anything like that," answered the doctor. "What usually helps coma patient come out of it sooner is simply to hear the voices of their loved ones. I should also warn you that it is usually a gradual process. Coma patients don't tend to wake up suddenly and stay awake after that. He may wake for a few moments in the beginning and then fall back into his coma. He may not wake at all the first time he shows signs of consciousness. He could talk or moan in his sleep, he could move his limbs, he could flutter his eyes. It can take time for a recovering coma patient to fully wake and remain that way, and when and if he does, he's going to be very tired for a while. I just want you all to know what to expect, and don't be disheartened if he loses consciousness again after first waking. His brain needs to heal, and if he does wake—even only for a few moments, it means he's recovering and has a good chance of having a normal life again."

The doctor put a hand on Madeline's shoulder. "What Eren needs the most from you all is your support. Don't give up on him."

She wiped her eyes and nodded. "Never. I'd never give up on my baby. Thank you, doctor. I'd like to be with him alone for a little while, if that's all right by everyone."

Levi was reluctant to leave, but Eren's mother had as much right to some private time with him as he did. He nodded, and he spoke to Hange. "Take a walk outside with me. Erwin, I'll talk to you later."

As Madeline went into Eren's room and Erwin excused himself and departed, Levi and Hange went to the elevator and took it down to the first floor. They exited the hospital through the main entry doors, and Levi stuck his hands into his pockets to keep them warm. It was a chilly evening, and he didn't have a coat with him.

As they walked the grounds of the hospital, Levi searched his thoughts for a way to express what he wanted to tell her. He stopped, and he looked up at the taller scout—and yes, for all intents and purposes, he still thought of them both as scouts. "Thank you," he said simply, at last.

Hange blinked owlishly at him. "W-what? Levi, did you just say—"

"Don't make me repeat it, shitty glasses," he grunted. "You know I suck at this kind of shit."

Levi sighed, and he looked back towards the hospital and up, counting the floors to where Eren's room was. "That Hanz guy might be a good doctor and a good surgeon, but he didn't know what was really going on. None of them do. You did, though. Eren would have a chunk of his skull missing by tonight and probably still no change in his condition, if it weren't for you."

Hange smiled warmly at him. "Well you know, Levi, _you're_ the one that gave me the idea. You ought to be thanking yourself, too."

"That was just a lucky coincidence," he said with a shrug. "I was tired and kind of desperate. I didn't even know what the hell I was saying. It never even occurred to me that you might know a way to reverse what was done to Eren."

Hange sighed. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, it didn't occur to me either until you mentioned that Reiss might have been able to correct it, if he were alive. I don't know why in the hell I didn't think of that myself."

"You're tired too," Levi excused. "But it doesn't matter now. It looks like your treatment is doing the trick. I just wish I knew when we could expect him to start waking up."

"Me too," agreed Hange. "I don't have a time estimate for you. All I know is that this is probably his best chance, so just do as the doctor suggested and be there for Eren. Let him know you're with him. If there's anything in the world that will give him incentive to fight his way out of that coma, it's knowing you're there waiting for him."

* * *

He was confused. He had no idea where he was. He felt a warm hand holding his, and he heard a familiar, low masculine voice speaking to him. Levi. That was Levi's voice. He was talking about the day they got a flat tire while on the road in the RV that the UFI had provided for them.

"You'd think after recreating fucking ODM gear from hundreds of years ago, I'd have been able to change that tire myself," Levi was muttering, "but the minute I started trying to do it, I was drawing a blank. You did good, brat. We might have had to call for emergency roadside assistance if you hadn't figured out what went there. I never really told you I admired you for figuring it out so fast."

Eren felt moisture gather behind his lids. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't manage it. He wanted to tell Levi that he loved him, and he would probably still be in the clutches of the BRS if it weren't for Levi's bravery and determination. He wanted to tell him he planned to announce their engagement to the whole world, if Levi really meant to marry him the way Eren thought he did.

He couldn't understand why his limbs wouldn't obey him, and he was scared. Was he dying? Would he never get the chance to look into those enigmatic gray eyes again, or hold the captain's strong, small body in his arms, or kiss those pouty lips? Eren didn't want to go. They'd just found one another again, after death and time had kept them apart. He wanted to be Levi's husband, wanted to buy a home together and adopt a puppy...maybe two of them. He wanted it all...the house, the husband, the swimming pool, the dogs. Eren knew that he could be completely happy with that. He wouldn't even mind retiring from his music career and finding some other means of income that wouldn't take him away from home.

If only he could move. If only he could speak.

"Eld's funeral was today," Levi said softly. "Well, one of them. He'll have another one after his remains are returned home to his family. I'll probably attend that service as well. Eren...I would like you to be at my side for the second one and the scattering of his ashes. I know you would want to pay your respects, too. I need you to wake up, brat."

 _~Dead? Eld Jin is_ dead _? How? Captain, how could that happen?~_

Eren struggled to recall if he'd been told this before. Ever since the Star Kraken, he kept drifting in and out of complete oblivion. Sometimes he could hear people talking, and other times it was like being in a dark, dreamless sleep. He thought he'd heard his mother singing to him at some point, and he'd heard Hange's voice speaking as well, a few times. He couldn't remember hearing anything about Eld dying.

There was a faint sigh, and then the sound of a chair creaking. The hand holding Eren's remained in place, and he could sense a shadow falling over him. Levi's voice was closer to his ear now, his breath warm and tea scented.

"I have to go for a little while," whispered the agent. "I need to change out of this suit. Wearing it is fucking depressing. I'll come back and stay the night with you after I've bathed and changed into something else, all right?"

Levi's hand stared to leave Eren's. The singer's heart rate increased with anxiety. He didn't want his lover to go. He didn't know where he was or what was wrong with him. His hand twitched as Eren tried with all his might to communicate with the captain.

 _~Levi, don't go!~_

"Eren?"

The hand went still, and it sounded like Levi was holding his breath. Eren hadn't spoken aloud, but he'd at least manage to briefly squeeze the man's hand. Eren tried again, and a tear trickled free from the corner of his eye.

* * *

Levi didn't dare move a muscle. He stared down at Eren, wondering if he'd just imagined that tragically brief little hand squeeze. He closed his eyes and shook his head when it didn't happen again, telling himself that he'd tricked himself into thinking it happened because he so desperately wanted this clumsy, endearing brat back in his life again. He opened his eyes and he started to pull away, but then he noticed the sparkle of moisture on Eren's lashes. He saw the teardrop fall free, and he bent down closer to the singer.

"Eren, can you hear me? Can you blink? Squeeze my hand again? Anything?"

Another tear etched its way down Eren's temple from the other eye, and the heart rate monitor beeped faster. Levi glanced at the EEG monitor, and he saw the lines growing sharper, popping up faster. He swallowed, and he took Eren's hand in both of his.

"Come on, Jaeger. Fight. You can do this. You've got this."

Finally, those gorgeous, expressive eyes that Levi had so missed gazing into fluttered open. Eren gasped, and his pupils shrank to pinpoints in reaction to the light. Levi hastily reached for the bedside lamp to dim it, and he was chagrined to see that his hand was trembling.

"Eren. Can you see me?"

The singer nodded a little jerkily, staring up at Levi with confused, tearful eyes. He made a rasping sound, and he tried to cough.

"Don't try to talk," Levi said in a rush. "You've got a tube down your throat."

Operating on survival impulse rather than clear thought, Levi jabbed the nurse call button on the side of Eren's bed. He sandwiched Eren's hand between his again, threading his fingers through the singer's longer ones.

"You've been in a coma for five days," Levi explained to him, afraid that the other man would lose consciousness again before he could finish telling him what was going on. He'd been warned that Eren might not be able to stay awake for very long initially. "You're safe now though, brat. We've been taking shifts watching over you, waiting for you to wake up. You won't be able to use that coordinate ability anymore, but that also means it can't fuck you up again. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Eren blinked slowly, and he nodded. He returned the pressure of Levi's squeezing hand, and the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. His eyes smiled more than his mouth did, even though those eyes were openly sad. Eren sniffed, and Levi took one hand off of the singer's to stroke his hair. He wished he hadn't mentioned Eld. It probably wasn't good for Eren to cry right now.

"Hey, don't start doing that," advised Levi softly. "You need your strength and you can't exactly sit up to blow your nose. Shhh."

Levi reached into his suit's blazer pocket for his handkerchief, and he dabbed at Eren's trickling eyes. Two nurses came in, one male and one female. Levi looked up at them as they hurried to Eren's bedside to examine his vitals.

"He just woke up," stated Levi. His voice sounded tinny and tight to his own ears. He barely even recognized it as his own. There was a lump forming in his throat. He'd made it through Eld's funeral service without displaying his emotions, even when Petra sobbed against his chest. Now he was in very real danger of breaking down. He'd managed to keep it all bottled up, to be strong for the sake of his comrades and for Eren. His eyes were burning again like they had after Eren first got admitted to this hospital, and he silently pleaded with his lover not to go away again.

 _~Fuck, when did I become such a pussy?~_

He knew the answer to that, though. He wasn't a "pussy", he was simply a man in love that had seen far too much loss in his life for any human being to be completely armored against. He wasn't a soulless automation. He wasn't so hardened that he was immune to feeling anything; he was simply better at controlling those feelings and channeling them into something productive than most others.

"Just relax, Mr. Jaeger," soothed the female nurse while the male began to flash a small flashlight in Eren's eyes to check his pupil reaction. "Mr. Ackerman, could you please step back to give us room? We need to conduct some simple reflex tests to gauge his responses."

Reluctantly, Levi complied with her request. He released Eren's hand and he stepped away, putting his back to the window and folding his arms over his chest as he watched them work over his betrothed. "How long do you think he can stay conscious?"

"I wish we could tell you sir," answered the male nurse. "The doctor has been paged, and he should be here shortly to give you his prognosis."

Levi stood tensely and waited. The doctor came in to examine Eren himself, and Levi almost winced when they removed Eren's feeding and oxygen tubes from his mouth and nose. The poor guy gagged and nearly threw up in the process, and the nurse let him sip some water after clearing his airway.

Once Eren recovered enough to speak, Dr. Hanz asked the singer a few questions. He asked him if he knew what day it was. Of course, Eren had no idea because he'd been out of it for nearly a week. He asked for the singer's full name, his date of birth, the names of his parents, what his career was, and other such personal things. Levi wondered at first what this line of questioning was meant to accomplish, but then it dawned on him that they were checking Eren for memory loss and brain damage. The captain felt some relief when Eren correctly answered all but the one about the present day and date.

"Well Mr. Jaeger, I'm very impressed with your recovery and condition," the doctor finally said once he'd finished questioning him and jotting down his responses. The female nurse was checking Eren's blood pressure and pulse, while the male was testing his reflex responses. Eren gave Levi a somewhat overwhelmed look, holding the digital thermometer in his mouth as the three medical personnel worked over him.

"So is he going to be all right, or what?" pressed Levi when the two nurses finally left, marking down the examination results on the medical chart before going.

"I believe he's going to be just fine," assured the doctor. "He's a very strong young man. He was very lucky. We'll keep him here for observation for a few more days, and once we're sure he's recovered enough to be out of danger, we will release him to your care, Agent Ackerman."

Eren looked at Levi again as the doctor retrieved the thermometer from his mouth to check the temperature. "You always seem to get stuck with that job," rasped the singer, hoarse from having tubes down his throat.

Levi smirked. "I've had worse jobs."

"Well, I'm going to give you two some privacy now," stated Dr. Hanz. "A nurse will be by with some lunch and aspirin for you to take in a while, Mr. Jaeger. I'm sure your head and throat must be aching. We'll start out with a liquid diet at first; soup and jello to start with. If you feel the need to sleep, please don't fight it. I know you may feel that you've slept enough, but normal rest is what your body needs right now. Does that make sense?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah. Thank you."

The doctor made his exit, and Eren looked Levi up and down once they were alone. "You look really nice," he complimented. He lowered his gaze with a frown and a sigh. "It really sucks that you look so good because of...because...how did Eld die? I heard you talking about his funeral, just before I woke up."

Levi came to the bed, and he sat down on the edge of it as Eren adjusted it to raise the head of it into a sitting position. "Eld died during the titan invasion, near the end," explained Levi softly. "I arrived on the scene with Erwin just after it happened. He died bravely and he likely saved Petra's life in the process."

"So he was...eaten?" Eren paled and grimaced, and his eyes sparkled with tears again.

"Bitten in half," muttered Levi. He looked away with a frown. "Just like before."

Eren put a hand to his forehead, bowing his head. "I'm so sorry. Fuck!"

"Everyone that got involved in this fight knew the risk they were taking," Levi reminded him. "Eld might not have had his memories from the past like we do, but he was still a soldier at heart. I'm sure if we could ask him, he would tell us he had no regrets for going out protecting someone he cared for."

Levi's throat tightened again, and he drew a deep breath. Eren was staring at him with naked sympathy on his weary, attractive features. The singer reached out to touch his lover's face, and his IV line got caught on the bed's side rail. Eren cursed softly and he carefully eased it off, and then he cupped Levi's face in his hands.

"I can see how much pain you're in, Levi. You don't always have to be so tough. Not with me."

Levi swallowed hard, and his vision started to blur. "I'm fine," he tried to say, but it came out choked and as hoarse as Eren's voice.

Eren bit his lip, and he stroked Levi's shiny black hair with one hand. "Hey, come here."

Levi almost resisted when Eren started to draw him in for a hug, but then he shuddered and he put his arms around him. He pressed his face against the other man's shoulder, struggling to hold back tears. "It's not...just Eld," he forced the words past an aching throat and frozen lips. "It's...you. I wondered...fuck, Eren, I couldn't do a damned thing. Just...sit here and wait, and wonder if you'd ever come out of it."

It all came pouring out, now that Levi had basically been given permission by the person he'd been fretting over so much to let it all out. "Couldn't protect you from it...couldn't help you. I felt like...such a helpless piece of shit..."

It had finally come to a head. The struggle, those memories from another life, losing a close friend and loyal comrade again, and coming so close to losing Eren...Levi's walls crumbled and the next thing he knew, he was holding Eren tightly, his shoulders shaking silently with his quiet weeping. Eren started to quiver as well in response, and his voice was unsteady as he kissed Levi's temple and spoke encouragingly to him.

"It's okay, gorgeous. Grieve. I'll do it with you. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Over the next few days, Eren was visited various times by his friends, his mother, his former scout comrades and even Ymir and Historia. The latter two told him they were already making plans to rebuild their hostel. Things had gotten back under control in Westenfeld, and what happened that day with the Star Kraken was still prevalent on the local news. Eren had trouble staying awake for very long at first, just as the doctor said he might. Most of the time he slept through the visits from people, only able to keep his eyes open for an hour or two at a time. By the third day after his awakening, however, he was able to stay up most of the morning, take a nap after lunch and then stay up through dinner with Levi and Madeline.

Eld's remains were sent to his family in Trost, and Levi explained that the reading of the will would take place after the scattering of his ashes.

"I want to come with," Eren said with determination after having his first bite of solid food since before the day of the titan drop. "I want to pay my respects. I missed the service here, but I'd like to be there for the one in Trost."

"I expected you would say that," Levi murmured. There was a subtle spark of pride in his pale gaze as he watched Eren chew and swallow. "I spoke to the doctor, and he's agreed you can travel once you're released. We're pushing to get you out of here by tomorrow so we can make the funeral service and the reading in time."

"I'd really like that." Eren sighed, and he looked down at his food tray without real interest, pushing around his mashed potatoes with a fork. "I'm so bored in here."

"Eat your food," ordered Levi. "You need to keep building your strength back up, brat."

Eren gave a hint of a smile. "Yes sir. At least the Salisbury steak is nice. These potatoes are instant, though." He made a face as he scooped a forkful up of the pasty substance and put it into his mouth.

"Look at you," admonished Levi. "Heh. You act like you're eating shit. It's not that bad. I've had some myself."

"Be honest," mumbled Eren, washing down his bite with the juice they'd given him. "It's like eating flavorless baby food. Man, I could go for some pizza right now."

"Okay, so their mashed potatoes are...liquidized cardboard," agreed the smaller man at last, shrugging. "It's still got nutrients you need. Too bad they didn't bring any salt and pepper to flavor it up. Hold up, I'll go get you some."

"No, no," Eren objected, almost choking on his orange juice. "Levi, it's okay. I can deal, see?"

He started shoveling more of the slop into his mouth, trying to prove to his lover that he didn't need seasoning. "If's fime."

"Stop talking with your mouth full, disgusting brat," Levi griped, but he smirked at Eren and took his seat again.

"I just..." Eren swallowed and took another sip of juice, "want to get out of here as soon as possible. I want to be at your side. Um...Levi?" He unconsciously reached up to touch the Wings of Freedom pendant hanging around his neck beneath the hospital gown, smoothing his thumb over the surface of the emblem.

"What is it?"

Eren looked at him shyly. "You still want to get married when everything settles down, right?"

Levi stared at him wordlessly, and Eren felt the urge to squirm. Finally, the agent nodded slowly. His gaze went to the pendant that Eren was clutching; the one that Levi had given him as a promise. "Yes, Eren. I still want to marry you. I'm not going to chicken out of it."

Eren burst into the first open, genuine smile he'd been able to muster since waking up. "Oh, thank gawd! I um...I could swear I heard you arguing with someone while I was under and they tried to take off the necklace you gave me."

Levi nodded. "I didn't so much argue as make it known that they'd lose a hand if they tried to take that off of you."

Eren favored him with a blatantly adoring look. "So I didn't just dream that?"

Levi shook his head wordlessly. Maybe Eren was imagining it, but he almost looked...just a little...like he was embarrassed.

Eren leaned over to take Levi's hand and squeeze it. "I'm glad. I think it helped me."

Levi tilted his head curiously. "How do you mean? It's just a necklace, Eren."

"But it was yours," insisted the singer. "You gave it to me at a crucial moment. I could feel it when I was...well, conscious enough to feel or hear anything. I could feel it against my skin. I kind of think of it like my good luck charm now."

"Tch. Actually, Hange's more your 'good luck charm' than that thing." Levi's cheeks were becoming subtly flushed. "She's the one that figured out how to fix you."

"She told me you gave her the idea," protested Eren. "I'm grateful to both of you. I don't know what I'd do without either of you, Levi."

The captain mumbled something under his breath and looked away.

"What?" Eren prompted. "What'd you say? I didn't hear it."

Levi fidgeted uncommonly. "I said I'm just glad to have you back."

Eren smiled, his eyes lighting up happily. "I'm glad to be back, too." He leaned further to give his betrothed a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Levi."

* * *

Eren was eventually released from the hospital, and he visited Ymir and Historia before boarding the plane home with Levi and the others. He'd heard about the attack on his hometown and his mother had already called her neighbors to confirm that her three cats had been properly cared for and were okay. Madeline was absolutely thrilled to hear that the wedding plans were still confirmed. The only thing left to do was to set a date, but in the meantime, Eren stayed at Levi's place with him in Trost, and Madeline slept in the spare room. Hange applied for a position with Research Intel, both for the sake of helping along scientific advancement and to keep an eye on the organization that had birthed the Bio Research Society. Moblit followed her lead, keeping his typical role as Hange's shadow.

Eren attended Eld's second funeral with Levi in Trost, and they stayed at the UFI agent's apartment for a week before moving up to Tarsus Valley. Levi cleared out his apartment beforehand, putting whatever he didn't choose to get rid of in storage until he and Eren settled and the time was right to have his belongings shipped to their new residency. In the meantime, the couple floated from Eren's apartment to Madeline's townhouse, sometimes staying with Mrs. Jaeger for days at a time. Eren wasn't really very comfortable at his place, anymore.

Though the UFI had the place inspected thoroughly for any bugs, the memory of his former captors planting monitors in his home was so violating that Eren couldn't even take a piss in his bathroom without wondering of unfriendly eyes were on him. He got back into his music with his band, working on new songs with them and practicing regularly to get back up to performance level again. Levi officially transferred from the Trost UFI branch to the TV branch, as did Erwin, Petra and Mike.

Whether by coincidence or deliberate intent, Nanaba happened to transfer to the Air Brigade base in Tarsus Valley as well. Under heavy prompting from his coworkers, Mike finally gathered the nerve to ask her out for coffee...and then dinner after that, and then a movie. By the time everyone was more or less settled in, Mike and Nanaba were officially dating.

Meanwhile, Levi and Eren were still going strong and making plans for their wedding. Levi visited Farlan and Isabel in prison once per week, and he even paid a few visits to Kenny—who was also doing time but on a more lenient sentence thanks to Erwin pulling some strings. It seemed that everyone was pulling their lives back together, and "Remember the Titans" became even more popular than they were before when they released their new album. Soon, they would need to begin planning another national tour, but the band agreed to wait until after Eren and Levi got hitched and found a home to move into. Instead of scheduling a tour, they planned a local benefit concert to raise funds for disaster relief in the aftermath of the conflict between the BRS, Satellite Core and the other military factions.

* * *

"I'm doing it tonight," Eren whispered in Mikasa's ear.

She looked at him through the mirror's reflection, pausing in her makeup appliance. They were in the dressing room getting ready for the benefit show. Eren was already fully decked out in black leather pants, a fishnet muscle shirt and knee-high boots. He'd recently had his hair trimmed again, having decided to keep it cut to the style he used to wear it in during the previous life, rather than let it grow out again.

"Doing what tonight?" Mikasa finally asked when the singer just gazed back at her expectantly. He obviously wanted her opinion, but his vague proclamation wasn't enough to go by.

Mikasa really hated it when guys did that. Jean did it to her all of the time as well, as though he thought she was a mind reader and could immediately pick up on what he was referring to. She wanted to toss him out of her car the other day when he said: "Oh wow, check that out," without even pointing at what she was supposed to be looking at. Apparently the guitarist was referring to an inflatable dancing man display outside a car lot that had gotten half-caught on a tree and looked like he was twerking. Mikasa came close to back-ending the car she was following, looking around to try and figure out what in the hell she was supposed to be checking out.

Eren heaved a little sigh, rolling his vivid eyes a little. "The announcement! I'm gonna do it tonight on stage after I greet the audience and give my speech. I want the whole world to know I'm going to be marrying the love of my life, and with the media filming this concert, this is the best way to do it, right?"

Mikasa smirked the tiniest bit. "Oh, that. Well, you're certainly going to be letting the whole world know, if you go through with it. I have a feeling that Levi won't think it's such a wonderful idea, though."

Eren grinned, and he squatted down beside her chair. "Yeah, he'll probably get a little pissed off over being singled out and shown off, but...it's a romantic gesture. I'm just so happy that he's going to be my husband. I want to share it with the world."

Mikasa could see by the determined set of her friend's shoulders and the passionate glaze in his eyes that he couldn't be talked out of this course of action. She sighed softly. Eren was just so pretty when he was this excited about something. A part of her still harbored a little crush on him, and she'd come to accept that it might never go away, even as she'd come to accept that he never seen her as anything more than a dear friend and adoptive sibling.

"Good luck, Eren."

Personally, Mikasa feared that Eren's decision might bring about his and Levi's first major lover's quarrel, but she knew better than to try and discourage him when he had his heart and mind so set on something.

* * *

Levi tried to remain patient as he sat through the opening band's performance. Reminding himself that he was there for Eren and that he could be doing much worse than sitting on the balcony VIP section for the show, he sipped on the alcoholic tea cocktail he'd been given and he leaned back in his chair. On either side of him sat Hange and Madeline. On Madeline's other side sat Erwin, and Sasha was seated next to Hange. They were the only ones that could make the concert. Petra had dearly wanted to, but she was so busy with a case she was on that she had to opt out.

"Finally," muttered Levi when the lead singer of the opening band thanked the audience and announced that "Remember the Titans" would be coming on stage soon. The flashing lights dimmed, and the auditorium lighting brightened while the roadies came out to move instruments off of the stage to make room for the headlining band.

Hange leaned toward Levi, and she yelled directly into his ear, nearly making him spill his drink. "I don't think those guys were half bad! I might even pick up one of their CD's before I go!"

"Fuck," sputtered Levi, clamping a hand over his ear. "You don't have to scream it at me, four eyes."

To her credit, the scientist looked slightly guilty. "Sorry, grump. Those guys were kind of loud and I think my hearing is a little impaired."

Levi shrugged it off. He knew Eren's band didn't rely on sheer volume to impress their listeners, and he was just thankful that they would be on next. He glanced over at Erwin, who was looking at the show program handed to them each when they arrived. The blond had been insightful enough to wear earplugs to the concert, and Levi wished he'd thought to do the same. The ceiling lights went dim again, and the audience started cheering as the stage lights lit up. Connie Springer announced the arrival of his band with a rolling, heavy drumbeat, and the lights focused on his drum set. More lights highlighted Mikasa and Jean, off to the right and the left of the drums. The crowd on the floor surged toward the stage, and a pair of women's panties soared through the air to land at Jean's feet.

"Gotta wonder if she took those off right there on the floor or brought them with her just to toss them on the stage," Levi mused, leaning close to Hange to speak his thoughts.

"I don't know, but I hope Jean has the sense not to put them on his head," Hange said in response, grinning. "He could end up with a VD on his scalp."

Levi was about to ask her if that was even possible, but then Eren came running out onto the stage, and he greeted the crowd with an enthusiastic hoot into the microphone. Levi forgot all about the panties and the risks of handling them. He stared at his fiancé, and his heartbeat took on a rapid cadence in response to the way Eren looked. He was every bit the sex symbol, with those tight leather pants hugging his ass and the fishnet muscle shirt molding to his tanned torso. Levi didn't even blame whomever threw it when a bra went flying onto the stage, aimed at Eren.

 _~Throw all the fucking undergarments you want at him. He's coming home with me tonight.~_

"It's great to be back on the stage," Eren enthused with a dazzling smile that probably melted several hearts in the audience. "We want to thank you awesome people for coming out to the show! Thanks to you guys, we've raised a shitload of money to help people that lost homes and family members in the recent crisis. Every little bit helps, and tonight, you've helped feed and shelter folks with your purchases. I want you all to give yourselves a big cheer!"

The crowd ate it up, and Levi found himself nodding. His brat really knew how to work his audience. Eren had undeniable charisma and appeal. It was a little ironic that the guy tended to get so bashful and flustered at times, but on the stage in the limelight, he was such a confident bastard.

"Okay, so before we rock this auditorium and play our new songs for you, I want to make an announcement," Eren said once the hoots and hollers died down a bit. He looked directly up at the VIP balcony, and he pointed at it. "Hey guys, can you shine a light up there? I want to introduce my fiancé! In two months, I'm going to be married to the love of my life!"

Levi spit out the sip of tea cocktail he'd just taken, and his eyes went uncommonly wide as the light techs shined a spotlight directly on him. Blinded by the light, he shrank down in his seat, slowly inching down it.

"What the fuck..."

"Look at how gorgeous he is!" Eren shouted.

On either side of Levi, both Hange and Madeline were clapping and smiling like a pair of lunatics. Levi caught a brief glimpse of Erwin watching him with one thick brow raised, and he wanted to punch the man when he started to grin. He couldn't even see what Sasha was doing; he just wanted to disappear.

"Okay, well you can't see him right now," Eren observed, having obviously realized that Levi was doing his best to escape the spotlight and the interested looks, "but I had to share it. There's nothing like being in love and knowing I get to spend the rest of my life with my soul mate, so we're going to start this party with a song about finding that special someone! You guys know the one, right?"

There were incoherent shouts in unison from the audience, and Jean led the song with a guitar rift. The spotlight swung away from Levi's location, now focusing on Eren as the singer trilled the first melodic verse of his song. Levi breathed a little bit easier, and he realized that he'd slid straight out of his seat and onto the floor.

"Levi, honey, you're going to melt into the floor if you keep that up," called Madeline. "It's okay, you can stop hiding!"

Levi begged to differ. He felt like there were eyes on him from every direction, and his face was burning. He'd made a career out of being inconspicuous and hiding his identity from others. Though he was now considering a career shift from being a field agent to taking on administrative work in the office, he was by no means ready to be put in the limelight and identified to the world...not even as Eren Jaeger's future husband.

"I need to have a shit," Levi blurted, and he got to his feet and slinked away quickly. He didn't even care that he'd spoken so crudely in front of Eren's mother. He felt like he was about to have a panic attack.

* * *

Eren was expecting Levi to be displeased with his announcement, but that didn't prevent him from practically screaming like one of his overzealous fans and hitting the ceiling when his dressing room door practically got kicked down by his lover between sets. He was just wiping his face off with a cool, damp towel and reaching for his bottled water when Levi stormed in. Reiner was at the agent's heels, rubbing his jaw in a pained way.

"Better not get in his way," advised the muscular blond when one of the backstage security guards started to intervene. "Trust me on that."

"Hey, gorgeous," Eren greeted, almost squeaking. Man, Levi practically had steam coming out of his ears. Maybe Mikasa was right to question his decision to announce their engagement. He was faintly surprised Levi didn't have lightning shooting out of his eyeballs right now. "Okay, I can tell you aren't happy about—"

Levi swooped in like a bird of prey, and he propped a booted foot right between Eren's thighs on the chair the singer was seated in.

"Not happy?" repeated Levi in a low, flat voice. "What the fuck was going through your head, brat? If you wanted your fans to know you're getting married, you could have just talked about it in a magazine interview or something. Shining a spotlight on me and pointing me out was beyond overkill."

Armin walked in at that moment, opened his mouth to say something, took one look at the situation and then promptly turned around and left. Reiner and the security guard promptly followed his example, leaving Eren alone with his angered betrothed. The singer gulped, and he thought for the first time that perhaps Jean wasn't completely wrong about him being a suicidal maniac.

"Will you let me explain?" Eren asked hopefully, trying not to shrink under that hooded, piercing glare.

Levi kept his foot propped firmly in place, and he folded his arms over his chest. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt with the logo of Eren's band on the front of it, and the singer marveled at himself when he found the bunching of Levi's biceps and the outline of his tight frame distracting. Now was definitely not the time to suggest a quickie before the next set.

"I'd really like to hear this explanation of yours," murmured Levi, "because from where I'm standing, that was a really stupid and pointless stunt. You know I don't like to be publicly called attention to, asshole."

Eren winced, and he nearly covered up his groin with one hand just to be safe. Levi's foot was too close to his goods for comfort, and he knew the man could still kick just as hard now as he ever did in the past. "I wasn't trying to be disrespectful, Levi. I know you like your privacy, and I probably should have discussed it with you first."

"Tch. You think?" Levi tilted his head. "Go on. What the hell's your excuse?"

"I don't have one," admitted Eren. He sighed, and greatly daring, he stroked his hands up and down the shin of the leg his lover had propped between his thighs. "Well, I do...kind of. I'm just crazy in love with my future husband. I wanted...I wanted all my fans to know. I wanted to share it with them because...because when I was out of it in that coma, your voice was what brought me back."

Eren met Levi's gaze, and he held it. "It was _you_ that pulled me out of that coma, Captain. Yeah, I know Hange came up with the treatment to make my coordinate go dormant again and help out with the physical part of it, but your voice was what gave me the strength to fight. I don't know if I could be here singing tonight if it weren't for you. Okay, it was probably rash and kind of dumb of me to do that. I don't always think straight when it comes to you. I just..."

Eren shrugged helplessly, and he smiled with adoration at the intimidating, raven-haired man he was ready to commit completely to. "I just love you so much, and I wanted everyone to know it."

Levi's expression retained its unreadable status for about five more seconds, and then the coldness in his gaze thawed. He sighed, and he uncrossed his arms to run his fingers through his hair, bowing his head and lowering his eyes.

"You adorable fucking idiot," muttered the agent.

Eren's smile grew a bit, and he squeezed Levi's knee. "I'm really sorry for embarrassing you like that. I can't take it back, but I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you. Will you let me try?"

Levi raised his eyes and he stared at the singer. He slowly removed his foot from between Eren's thighs, and he bent over to grab the taller man's netted shirt in his hands. He pulled, urging Eren to get up.

"Get out of that chair and take me to somewhere we won't get interrupted, Jaeger. I expect you to make good on that promise to make it up to me."

Eren had absolutely no objection to that. Unfortunately, he had no private, personal dressing room for this gig. He shared it with the rest of the band. There was, however, a bathroom available connected to the dressing room that locked just fine.

* * *

"Shit, where's Eren at?" Connie muttered. "We go on again in two minutes! He needs to be here by the stage and ready to go on."

Mikasa shrugged, smirking a little. "Considering the announcement he made when we started, my guess is he's either getting the shit kicked out of him or having his brains screwed out."

"I'll go and look for the flake," offered Jean.

"Better hurry," Armin prompted, looking worried. "The crowd is so thirsty for more; we don't want to risk a riot."

"You're paranoid," accused Jean. "That crowd brawl happened _one_ time over a year ago, and it was because half the people at the music festival were drunk or high, not because we kept them waiting."

"All the same, people can get rowdy when their adrenaline is up and they've paid good money for an event. We'd best not tempt fate. Go find him, Jean."

"I'm on it," promised the guitarist. He went backstage first, figuring Eren probably wouldn't have tried to sneak past so many people without getting recognized to visit with his lover on the VIP balcony.

"Eren? Where the hell are you, man?" He called out as he checked the dressing room and the after party room. Maybe the guy went for a snack from the buffet laid out by the staff. Having no luck finding him there, he went back into the dressing room, scratching his head.

"Jaeger, I'm not kidding! You taking a dump or—"

Then he heard it from the bathroom, and at first he thought he was right about Eren taking a shit. The grunts were soon accompanied by a low, sensual moan of pleasure that recognizably came from Levi. There was also a smacking sound that Jean was quite familiar with, having slept with his girlfriend enough to know what the slap of skin on skin sounded like.

"Oh." Jean's face turned red. "Looks like Mika's second guess was right. Shit."

Jean wasn't about to shout through the door and interrupt them. Not that he was afraid of pissing Eren off, but Levi was a different matter. He decided to take his exit, and he joined the others at the foot of the stage entrance.

"Uh, Eren's probably not going to make it for the first song of our next set. Maybe even the first two, depending on his stamina."

Connie's brows went up. "So was Mikasa right? They boning?"

Jean smirked dryly. "Either that, or Jaeger's found himself a groupie that sounds just like the captain. We've got to think up something fast. They lights just dimmed."

Over the roar of the excited crowd, Mikasa called out her idea. "We'll switch up the play list a little. Connie can start this set with his drum solo, and if Eren still doesn't make an appearance after that, we'll follow up with one of the instrumentals."

"Which one?" Jean prompted. "We have two on the list."

"The instrumental version of 'Bones'," Mikasa suggested, "and then we can follow it up with the vocal version, if Eren makes it in time. He can't possibly keep going for _that_ long, can he?"

"I'll be impressed if he can," muttered Jean, feeling slightly competitive. No guy liked to find out that someone they had an ongoing rivalry with lasted longer in the sack than they did.

"That's funny," Connie blurted. "They're boning and he's gonna be coming out to sing 'Bones'!"

"Yes, hilarious," said Armin impatiently. "Connie, get out there!"

* * *

They heard the band start up again, but Eren insisted they could keep going once he realized they weren't playing the intro to a vocal song. By the time he finished satisfying both of them good and proper, Levi had a slight limp, a fresh hicky on his neck and a bit of color in his cheeks. The couple separated with a hasty kiss, cleaned up a little and straightened their clothes. Levi cast one last look back at Eren as he left the dressing room to return to his seat in the auditorium, and his flush deepened when the singer gave him a conspiring wink. He had to give the little shit credit; when Eren made up for doing something stupid, he didn't cut corners.

Levi made it back to his seat between Madeline and Hange just as the band started playing the vocal version of 'Bones'. Madeline was too absorbed in watching her son come running out on the stage to greet the crowd, but Hange looked between Levi and the singer slyly. Eren's hair was mussed, and his face was a little flushed and sweaty.

"Sooo, what have _you_ two been up to?" drawled Hange over the music. She smirked at Levi. "Does Eren have any fresh bruises?"

"Only on his hips," answered Levi, too sated from the encounter to bother denying he'd just had sex with the singer. Fortunately, his exchange with Hange wasn't loud enough to carry over to Eren's mother.

Hange cackled with amusement, and nothing more was said about it for the rest of the concert.

* * *

-To be continued


	42. Chapter 42

_Author's Note: The song "Fragrance" belongs to J-pop artist, Gackt. Check it out!_

* * *

As the day of the scheduled wedding came closer, Eren found himself faced with an argument that he totally didn't expect to be having. He knew most people followed the tradition, but it hadn't even crossed his mind to consider doing it himself.

"Dude, I don't _need_ a bachelor party," Eren protested when Armin approached him with the idea. "I know it's a tradition, but it doesn't feel right."

Armin frowned at him. "What about it doesn't feel right, Eren? It's only harmless fun. One last night with your friends as a 'free man'. Everyone does it."

"That's just it though," protested Eren. "The whole concept bothers me. I'm not losing my freedom, I'm gaining a life partner. I...okay, bear with me. If anyone can grasp the principle, it's going to be you."

Armin nodded patiently. "Okay. Go on."

Eren sighed, and he combed his finger through his mussed brown hair. It had grown out again since his last haircut before the benefit concert, and he imagined Levi would be wanting him to get another trim, soon. He smiled at the thought, thinking of the first time Levi had given him a haircut. Damn, that was a sexy moment. Recalling it only reinforced his feelings concerning the bachelor party, though.

"It feels disrespectful to my fiancé. The whole idea of celebrating my final moments of being a single bachelor when I'm about to be married to the love of my life just seems wrong to me. He's everything to me, Armin. You know that. Having a bachelor party just feels like I'm spitting on the whole commitment me and Levi are making to one another. I'd rather celebrate our engagement, not mourn singlehood."

"Wow," stated Armin, staring at him with some awe in his blue eyes.

Eren shrugged.

"You really _are_ a romantic." Armin smiled. "You are quite possibly the only man I know that could think that way. I'm not suggesting it's a bad thing. I admire your devotion to your partner, in fact."

"Then you understand why I think this is a bad idea," pressed Eren.

"I do understand," Armin assured him. "But Eren, bachelor parties aren't just about the person about to get married. They're actually more about his friends."

Eren cocked his head questioningly. "How?"

"Well, you said yourself that you're about to embark on a long-term commitment. You aren't just dating the captain; you're about to legally bind yourself to him. You aren't going to have as much time for your friends, simply put. Don't think of it as us 'mourning' your single status, but giving you a send-off. It's a night for your friends to cut up and have a good time with you. It's a party, and you're the guest of honor."

"Hmm." Eren considered it from that point of view, and it actually made him feel a little better.

"Besides," Armin said, adding incentive, "Levi's having one."

Eren recoiled and blinked, not bothering to hide his surprise. "What? Who told you that?"

"Hange." Armin leaned forward a little in his chair, resting his wrists on his knees. "I doubt he's any more enthused than you are, but Hange convinced him just as I'm trying to convince you. While you're having your bachelor party, Levi's going to be having one of his own. There's no need for you to feel bad about it, Eren. Like I said, it's just harmless fun. Nobody's going to expect you to cheat on your betrothed. We just want to throw you a party."

"So...Levi is having a bachelor party?" His lover hadn't mentioned it to him, and Eren had trouble imagining it.

"Yes. With a stripper." Armin shrugged.

Jealousy welled up within Eren. He couldn't begrudge his boyfriend the right to a party, but the thought of someone else grinding in Levi's lap made him want to punch something. "Is that so? Fine, then. You're on. Let's have this bachelor party. One question, though: what about Mikasa? She's a girl."

Armin raised a brow. "Yeah, last time I checked."

"So she's not going to be there? Sasha, too. Aren't bachelor parties supposed to be an all guy thing except for the stripper?"

"In this case, I think we can make some exceptions," Armin said dryly. "Of course Mikasa and Sasha will be there. They were in on the idea, after all. As for the stripper, I think it would be pointless to get you a female one. Your tastes run to men, so naturally the stripper should be male."

"Wait, wait," Eren protested, holding a hand out in a warding gesture. "Look, I'm glad Mika and Sasha will be there, but I'm really not comfortable having a stripper."

"But that's part of the bachelor party tradition," insisted Armin.

"Look, you say it's as much about the friends as it is about the groom, right?"

Armin nodded, and Eren shrugged. "So what's the point of getting me a stripper? Usually the stripper is there for _everyone_ to enjoy, right? As far as I know, all of you guys are straight, so hiring a male stripper for entertainment isn't going to do much for anyone, and it'll just make me uncomfortable."

"Sasha and Mikasa could enjoy him," Armin pointed out. "Besides, half the fun is in embarrassing the groom. It's not really about watching a woman take her clothes off. It's kind of a roast; friends teasing their comrade while at the same time celebrating him. I know it might seem odd, but I'll again remind you that it's all in good fun. Please, just go along with it, Eren. We all love you and we're all happy for you. Let us have this night."

Eren heaved another sigh. "Just promise me one thing."

Armin nodded. "Name it."

Eren looked at the band manager seriously. "Don't invite or tell my mother about this, okay?"

Armin chuckled. "Well, I'm sure Madeline is going to be expecting something like this, but I promise, she won't hear of it from me."

* * *

"So, that's the plan," Hange finished. She smiled at Madeline, trusting that she'd come to know her well enough to predict her reaction. "What do you think?"

Madeline was still for a moment, and then she beamed at Hange. "I think it's a brilliant idea!"

Hange cackled. "I knew you'd like it. You know, you could come too."

Madeline seemed like she was considering it, but she shook her head a moment later. "No, as much as I'd like to see the look on his face, I wouldn't want to embarrass anyone. Just take pictures and I'll experience it vicariously through those."

Hange shrugged, understanding her position. She couldn't really blame her for thinking it would be too awkward. "You've got a deal. I'm just glad you're on board with it."

The two women shook on it.

* * *

That weekend, Eren showed up at the bachelor party he didn't really want to be having. His band and his friends were there—minus Hange. She'd rsvp'd her regrets that her schedule interfered with her participation in the event. Honestly, Eren was a little thankful for that. Having the doctor show up would have felt a little weird to him, because he thought of Hange as a sort of maternal figure in his life. Jean plopped a glittery silver cardboard top-hat on Eren's head when the singer arrived, and Connie immediately put a beer in his hand. Armin had rented a party room at a high-dollar hotel for the event, up in the penthouse level. There was a private suite attached to it, but it was off-limits to party guests and Armin gave Eren the keycard to it. Eren wondered what the point was in renting the suite, unless Armin thought that some people might need a place to crash at the end of the night because they were too inebriated. He said as much to his blond friend after receiving his hat, beer and keycard.

"Are you expecting us to all get smashed and crash here or something?" Eren sipped his imported lager and regarded Armin suspiciously.

"Actually, the suite is for you." Armin shrugged and smiled. "We all thought it might be nice for you to have a luxurious little getaway for a couple of days, so I booked the suite for two days for you. I know you haven't felt comfortable in your own apartment, lately."

Eren flushed with pleasure at his friend's generosity. It was true; he hadn't felt comfortable at all in his place since returning home. The memory of Levi and Petra finding the place loaded with spy cams and microphones made Eren feel like he still had eyes on him at all times, though the agency had gone over the place with a fine-tooth comb to ensure it was free of bugs before giving Eren the green light to return to his apartment. Levi was currently waiting for his belongings to be transported from Trost. He was virtually living in his new office, though he had moved in with Eren upon arriving in Tarsus Valley. Levi said he wanted to give him a little space before they married, though. They had plans to invest in a home in the suburbs after the wedding, but for now they were winging it.

"Thank you, Armin," Eren said with all sincerity. "That's really generous of you."

Armin shrugged, taking a sip from his champagne glass. "It wasn't just my idea. Everyone pitched in a little for it, truthfully."

"Your attention, please!" Connie had stepped up to the microphone on the platform in the back of the party room, and the music faded so that he could speak. "Yo, guys, pay attention!"

Everyone turned to regard him. "Thanks," Connie said with a grin. "So, as everybody knows, we're all her to celebrate our lead singer's final days of freedom!"

There was applause, and Eren fought off a groan.

Sasha jumped up on the stage and she turned the microphone toward her. "And with that being said, everyone toast to Eren and Cap...er...Levi! May you guys have a great, happy life together, Eren! Cheers!"

Everyone raised their glasses or bottles and cheered at Eren, wearing broad smiles on their faces. Not knowing what else to do, the singer raised his beer as well. "Thanks, guys!"

Reiner approached him, and the big blond's chiseled features relaxed into a smile. "You know, I've seen some pretty fucked up shit since getting hired on as your roadie, but I'm glad I'm with you guys, all the same. Good luck in your marriage, Eren."

Eren smiled back at him. He hadn't forgotten the things Reiner had done in the previous life, but this was a different man standing before him. This was the guy Eren used to think he was, back before he revealed himself as the Armored Titan. Reiner hadn't imbibed in Hange's memory tonic, so he was blessedly free of the knowledge of his former crimes. Eren had forgiven him some time ago, because he couldn't in good conscience hold something the man had done in another life against him in this one, and Reiner was a good roadie and loyal friend.

"I appreciate that, Reiner." Eren clinked his bottle against the bigger man's.

Someone came up behind Eren, and his vision was suddenly blocked by a pair of large but feminine hands.

"Guess who?" said a low voice into his ear.

Eren immediately recognized the voice, and he turned around to face the speaker. "Ymir! Krista! Oh my God, I can't believe you guys showed up!"

Krista giggled sweetly, her blue eyes alight with fun and mischief. "I hope it's not too awkward, Eren! Armin sent us the invitation, so Ymir and I booked a flight here."

"No, of course it's not too awkward!" He was grinning like a fool, glad to see the unexpected pair. He'd been thinking of contacting them to see how they were doing, in fact. "I'm glad you came. How is the hostel doing?"

Ymir shrugged. "Business is a little slow right now since the city's still under repair and half of our building's closed off, but we expect it to pick up again once the work is done." She smirked at him. "Now you're not the only gay person here. That's got to make you feel better, right?"

Eren laughed and nodded. "Yeah, it does. It's weird being the man of the hour _and_ a minority. Thanks again for coming, you two."

"We wouldn't miss it," Krista assured him.

Jean and Mikasa came over, and the latter exchanged hugs with Ymir and Krista. Jean looked at Eren appraisingly while the three women caught up on recent events together. "So Eren, do you think you're up for belting out a few tunes? We set up that stage just in case. Ymir and Krista haven't heard us play live yet, so I figured we might as well be prepared."

"Sure, I'm up for that." Eren began to relax. Singing a few tunes with his band might put him in a good mindset and make him feel less awkward. It was safe, he was surrounded by friends and making music was a familiar and welcome thing for him. "Have you guys come up with a list of what you'd want to play, or are we winging it?"

Jean shrugged and sipped his whiskey. He gave a little shiver and a burp. "You're the man of the hour, bro. You pick for us and we'll follow up."

Eren smiled at the taller man, feeling a surge of unexpected affection towards him. He gave Jean a quick hug and a pat on the back. "Thanks, man."

"Don't mention it." Jean returned the gesture, patting Eren on the back as well. "Let's not get too sentimental or we'll spoil people's perception of us as rivals."

Eren choked on a laugh and stepped back with a nod. "Right. Well, I'm ready to rock when you guys are."

* * *

"Okay, they've started playing. Phase two of 'Operation Bachelor Party' is a-go!"

Levi sighed over Hange's enthusiasm, and he checked his outfit. "Can't believe you talked me into this." in his arms, he carried a folded green cloak and a military cap.

She grinned at him. "What can I say? I'm just that good. Now sneak your cute little butt into the room we set up while Eren's occupied on the stage. I'll be right behind you. The lighting system should already be set up, according to Armin."

While he still had his doubts about this, Levi had to admit this was a much better option than he and Eren having separate bachelor parties. He covered up with the trench coat Moblit handed to him, and he muttered under his breath.

"This just makes me look more conspicuous."

Erwin heard him, and the blond nodded. "I have to agree. Hange, don't you think it would be better for him to—"

"No time, no time!" Hange started shoving Levi towards the party room door. "Just go, midget! Keep your hat low so nobody sees your face and make a beeline for that room. You have the keycard, right?"

Levi nodded, fishing said access card out of his pocket. "Yeah, I've got it."

"Great! Just remember, it's the first door to the right. Don't go to the door to the left, because that's the bedroom suite and this card only works on the VIP room. The rest of you stay out here. We'll draw too much attention if we all come in at the same time. I'll send a text to Moblit when it's safe for everyone to join the party, as we discussed."

Nanaba leaned closer to Mike. "Well, this should be interesting," she whispered. He nodded with agreement and huffed.

* * *

They played a set of four songs before taking a break, and Eren was gulping down some bottled water when Connie came at him with another beer. "Here you go, Eren! Great set! We can save the rest for later, though. It's time for your strip-tease."

"Oh shit, I forgot about that." Eren took the beer from his drummer, and he put the bottled water down on the bar in favor of chugging the brew. He started getting that sick feeling again, and he reminded himself that it was all just for fun. He wasn't cheating on Levi...except maybe with his eyes. He couldn't imagine any man's body impressing him like the captain's did, though.

"All right, let's get this over with," he muttered after a few swallows. "So what am I supposed to do, sit in the middle of the room and wait for the stripper? That's how it usually works, right?"

Mikasa had come over, and she heard his comment. "Actually, we thought it would be more dignified for you if you have a private dance...without an audience. We're taking you to the VIP room for your strip-tease."

Her explanation only troubled him further. "Wait, so I'm going to be _alone_ with this stripper?"

Somehow, that was worse. At least if the strip-tease happened in front of people he was guaranteed that no inappropriate touching would occur...at least, that was Eren's logic. Not that he had any intention of laying hands on his stripper and he was still sober enough to keep his wits, but that didn't mean the stripper wouldn't try to lay hands on _him_.

"Guys, I don't know about this."

"Eren," Mikasa said soothingly, "you aren't going to cheat on Levi. Everyone knows that. It's going to be fine. Now, come on."

The bassist took his hand in hers, and she started pulling him towards the door to the VIP room. Eren sputtered another protest, nearly spilling his beer. Of _course_ he wouldn't cheat on Levi, but people might talk and he could just imagine the nightmare if rumors got back to his betrothed that he'd gone into a room alone with a stripper and did God only knew what with him.

"Guys?" Eren found himself literally shoved through the door, and it closed and locked behind him. The room was dark; he could barely see anything. He tried the doorknob, jiggling it. "Come on, I'm really not feeling right about this!"

"Just sit down in the damned chair and enjoy it!" Connie shouted through the door. "We went through a lot of trouble to set this up, Jaeger!"

Eren turned and looked at the single leather armchair in the center of the darkened room. It was spotlighted, and it was virtually the only thing he could see. "All right, I'll play along," he said through clenched teeth, "but the minute I get out of here, yours is the first ass I'm kicking, Springer."

With a sigh, Eren took another chug of his beer, and he approached the chair that—in his eyes—might as well be an electrocution chair. He sat down on it, his back straight and stiff and his right knee bouncing restlessly. It was a swivel chair, he realized, capable of turning like an office chair. Almost immediately, a warm, dim red light shone down from the ceiling to highlight a low platform. On this platform was a man straddling a stool. Eren squinted, trying to make out more. The guy was dressed in vintage Survey Corps attire, complete with the cape. The only thing that didn't match was the black military cap on the dancer's head. It looked like a flight cap worn by an officer of the Air Brigade. Eren snorted.

 _~So they themed it. This is so lame.~_

A dance tune started up. It was a sensual, lulling song that Eren recognized. It was sung by an artist originating from the far East in a language he didn't understand, but he liked it, all the same. "Fragrance" was the title, as he recalled. There was a hiss from a pair of fog machines on either side of the platform, and the exotic dancer was further obscured from view by the resulting clouds. The dancer got up from his seat with a smooth, graceful gesture, and he began to gyrate slowly to the music, splaying his hands over his pelvis. His hips moved in circular motions, and he ran one hand lazily up his body, stroking his own torso as he danced. He shrugged out of his cape and scout jacket, letting them slip to the floor. Eren's gaze followed the fall of cloth briefly before fixating on the dancer again.

He was good. His movements were so fluid and erotic, Eren couldn't help but stare. The music and the occasional puff of fog from the machines added to the man's alluring, mysterious appeal. Despite himself, Eren could appreciate the art of this man's dancing.

* * *

Up above in the sound and light booth, Hange and Moblit watched the spectacle unfold. They were both operating the music, lighting and special effects together, and Hange was having a bit more fun than was appropriate.

"Yesss...yes! Showtime! This is perfect!"

Moblit gave her a wary glance. "There's that look in your eyes again. Don't you think you're getting a little worked up over this?"

Hange waved it off, peering through the glass intently. "Absolutely not. I want this to be perfect. Damn, I didn't know he could dance like that."

Down below, the stripper had pulled open his uniform shirt to bare his chest and stomach. The entire outfit was designed to rip away easily. That was the miracle of Velcro. The wearer of said outfit was in jaw-dropping shape, his toned abs rippling with his enticing motions. Eren had gone completely still, and though his back was to the pair managing the sound and lighting, Hange could imagine his mouth going slack.

"He's going to figure it out," Moblit predicted, also watching the dancer.

"He hasn't seen his face yet," Hange reminded. "The element of surprise is still with us."

"He's seeing his body, though. I'm sure he'll start recognizing it soon enough," insisted Moblit.

"Shh, just watch! Hmm, I may have to re-think my friendship status with our dancer. He's getting me hot and bothered."

" _Hange_!"

Moblit's horror was sincere, and she burst into laughter in response to the devastated look on his face. She cupped that wide-eyed face and she planted a chuckling kiss on his lips.

"I'm fucking with you, darling. I would never do that, even if I thought he'd be interested. Relax."

"I'll relax when you stop eye-humping him," grumbled Moblit between kisses.

"Hey, I'm just admiring from an aesthetic point of view," she protested. "You have to admit he's an attractive specimen."

Hearing her refer to the dancer as a "specimen" obviously pacified Moblit, somewhat. "Okay, that's fine. As long as it's the _only_ way you're looking at him."

"Of course." Hange kissed him again. "Now, let's get back to it. We need to increase the lighting at just the _right_ moment."

Moblit sighed, but he smiled at her. Hange's quirky meddling was part of her appeal, after all.

* * *

 _~Okay, this is bad. This guy is turning me on.~_

Eren squirmed in his seat, feeling a boner coming on. The dancer's shirt had fluttered to the floor a couple of feet away from the jacket and cape. Now bare-chested, the stripper continued his sexual display, rocking his hips suggestively with fluid motions and running his hands over his body. And what a fine body it was. It reminded Eren strongly of Levi, and he started to imagine his lover doing this in the dancer's place. It made his guilt lessen a tiny bit. He nibbled his lip as he scanned the dancer's toned form, and he blinked in a startled manner when the guy turned around to present his back to him.

 _~Wait, what? Those markings on his body...that tattoo on his back...the Wings of Freedom? What the hell?! That's Levi's tattoo!~_

He'd brushed off the faint harness strap marks as just makeup intended to add authenticity to the scout getup, but now his mind was officially blown. Anger boiled below the surface, because Eren started to get the wild notion that his friends had set it up for the dancer to have a fake tattoo put on his back to throw him off. Then the dancer turned slightly, looked over his shoulder at Eren, and reached up to take off his cap. That pose was all too familiar to Eren. It had been in his dreams for most of this life. The curve of the ass, the tilt of the shoulders...this was exactly how he'd seen Levi that day when the captain had come down from the heavens like a guardian angel and saved his, Mikasa and Armin's life. He'd stood upon his vanquished prey and gazed down at them in this exact pose, with titan steam billowing up around him. He'd been so beautiful to Eren, with the sunlight highlighting him and those sleepy, enigmatic gray eyes flashing down at him.

This guy also had Levi's muscular ass.

 _~No way. No fucking way!~_

The hat sailed across the room and hit him right in the face at that moment, startling Eren and blocking his view briefly. He sputtered and he swatted at the head accessory. It tumbled to the floor, and the red lighting increased in brightness. Soon, it was joined by violet and blue lights. Eren stared in bewilderment, now able to see the face of his stripper fully.

"L-Levi?"

The captain smirked at him. "About time. Hange, get lost. Thanks."

Eren looked around wildly. "Hange? Where?"

"Who else do you think would come up with such a hair-brained scheme?" challenged Levi. He continued to dance as he spoke, and he tugged at his pants. There was a tearing sound as the Velcro peeled apart. "Last chance before you get an eyeful, Hange. I'm not stopping."

* * *

"Okay, we've done our job," Moblit reminded his lover. "Time to go and give them their privacy, Hange."

Hange was staring down at Levi. "We could stay for another minute or two. I've always wondered if Levi's endowments match his size or—"

Moblit grabbed her arm. "Come on! Are you _trying_ to make me jealous? Guys don't like hearing their girlfriends talk about other guy's endowments, for crying out loud!"

"Oh...oh, of course, you're right." Hange let herself get pulled along to the door leading out of the sound and light booth. "I wasn't trying to piss you off, honey."

Moblit sighed. "I know. Let's just say when I see you watching a guy that looks like the captain with such interest, it's hard not to feel a little insecure."

"Oh, I shouldn't have teased you." Hange pushed him against the wall at the top of the stairs, and she ran her hands over his chest. "What do you say I make it up to you in my car, hmm? It's only a short jaunt to the parking garage, and my seats recline all the way back."

"Uh..." Moblit's eyes fluttered shut when she tugged on his earlobe with her teeth and growled playfully into his ear. "W-what about the party? We...we're supposed to be there for the other surprise."

"Oh, I think our guests of honor are going to be in that VIP room for a while," Hange purred. "We have time."

Moblit seemed to forget any logical arguments. "Okay."

* * *

"Is she gone?" Eren asked, eyes wide on his future husband as Levi boldly pulled his pants open.

"If she isn't, she's probably going to be in for a lecture from Moblit," answered Levi calmly. He swayed his hips as he pulled at the sides of his pants. More Velcro peeled away, and suddenly he was fully nude but for his boots. "I'm not an idiot, Eren. I only agreed to let her man the booth if Moblit would be with her. Otherwise she'd probably sit there watching the whole thing like a freaky pervert."

Eren swallowed, feeling an over-abundance of saliva building up in his mouth. Fuck, was his lover ever a sight to behold. "You sure they're gone?"

"They'd better be, or I'll kick their asses," assured Levi. He stepped down off the platform, leaving his boots on. He had his groin covered with one hand, teasingly hiding that part of him from view. He approached Eren, still gyrating smoothly and moving his feet to the erotic tune playing. "Don't worry about them. Enjoy the dance, brat."

Eren nodded convulsively, still clutching his beer in one hand but completely forgetting he had it. "Yeah, okay. I'm definitely enjoying it." He started to laugh and blush. "Thank God it's you. I was feeling really weird about this and then...well, I started getting turned on and I felt bad because it was like mentally cheating on you."

"Heh. Guilty pleasure?" Levi stopped before him, turning around in a circle to show off his backside a bit, before facing him again.

" _Real_ guilty," confessed Eren, entranced by Levi's sinuous motions and the ripple of muscles. "You are so fucking hot. I kept thinking of you even when I thought you weren't you."

Levi paused, his thin brows pinching a bit. "What the fuck does that even mean?"

Eren shook his head. "I don't even know. I'm just babbling because I never expected you to do something like this for me and you're the sexiest boyfriend ever and this is the best bachelor party ever and I—"

Levi bent over, and he used his free hand to put two fingers against Eren's lips to stop his spew of commentary. "Shh. You'll give yourself a nosebleed, kid." He knocked the glittery party hat off Eren's head, and he ruffled his hair.

Eren impulsively wiped under his nose with a finger to check for a leak, unable to break Levi's gaze. "Sorry."

Levi knelt smoothly between the singer's knees, and he took his hand off his groin. He placed both hands on Eren's knees, and he leaned in to run his tongue sensually over the neck of Eren's beer bottle. His eyes never left the singer's as he licked the smooth glass suggestively, and Eren's hand went slack around it with stupefaction. The bottle fell to the floor, and beer splashed Levi's nude body when it hit and spewed foamy brew. The bottle rolled away, and Levi looked down at the beer now dripping down his stomach and thighs.

"Nicely done, idiot."

Eren winced, half expecting one of Levi's boots to slam into him. The man was smirking though, and Eren could detect a subtle hint of amusement in his gaze. "Sorry. You're just so distracting, I lost my grip completely."

Levi got to his feet, looking down at Eren with an expression of cool authority. "Lick it off."

Eren had absolutely no objection to that. He leaned forward in his chair as Levi propped his left boot up on the arm of it, presenting his thigh to the singer. Eren ran his tongue over the drops of beer trickling there, collecting them. He kissed the smooth, toned flesh between licks, and his hands itched to touch his lover. He put them on Levi's ass and squeezed it, giving in to his desire.

"Nuh-uh." Levi grabbed Eren's groping hands, pulling them off of. "You're not supposed to lay hands on your dancer, remember?"

"But...I'm putting my tongue on you," objected Eren, looking up at those smoky eyes.

"With my permission," corrected Levi. "I haven't given permission to touch me with your hands, Eren."

The singer swallowed. This was torture. He dropped his hands to his lap, his groin aching with arousal as he resumed licking Levi clean. He traced the captain's navel with his tongue, and he groaned softly. Nuzzling his stomach, Eren closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of those tight abs against his lips and face. Armin's reasoning behind getting him the penthouse suite for a couple of days suddenly took on a new meaning.

"Are you going to stay with me while I'm booked here?" Eren questioned hopefully.

Levi's fingers curled into Eren's hair, but they didn't tug. Instead, they combed through it gently as if rewarding him. "Sure. For now though, I've still got the rest of a performance to give you."

Levi stepped back, depriving Eren of the taste of his skin. He resumed his swaying and gyrating, watching Eren with a promise in his eyes. He'd covered his groin up again with both hands, blocking the area from view once more. Somehow that made it all even sexier. Dancing there in nothing but boots with his hands covering himself in a fake show of modesty, Levi Ackerman was so smoking hot that Eren wondered how he hadn't caught on fire yet. He squirmed again, biting back a whimper of need. Eren covered his own crotch with his hands, very aware of how much his leather pants were bulging there.

"You seem tense," Levi observed. He took his hands off his crotch, revealing that he was getting in an aroused state as well.

Eren's breath caught at the sight. "I guess having my babe tease me like this does that to me."

Levi stepped closer again, and as the music faded away, he climbed onto the wide armchair. He placed his knees on either side of Eren's hips, and he sank down on top of him, straddling his lap. Levi combed his fingers through the singer's hair, and he gazed into his eyes. "Well, the dance is over. Did it entertain you?"

"Hell yeah," enthused Eren a little breathlessly. "Can I touch you now?"

"I suppose," Levi sighed in a mock grudging tone.

Eren immediately put his arms around him, and he slid his hands down Levi's back to cup his bottom. "I feel like it's my birthday."

"We can pretend it is." Levi murmured the suggestion into his ear, his warm breath tickling the sensitive spot. "So Eren, what else can I get you for your birthday?"

"You," answered Eren immediately, rubbing Levi's ass in circular motions, his fingers splayed wide over the firm mounds. "Just you. That's all I need."

"Heh. Easy enough."

Levi caught Eren's mouth up in a kiss. Breath quickening, Eren stroked the agent's tongue with his own, and he slipped one hand around from Levi's ass to his groin. He gave his cock a stroke, and it hardened to full mast in his hand. He rubbed the tip with his thumb for a moment, drawing a little gasp from his companion, and then he ran both hands over Levi's chest. He teased his nipples until Levi was shivering and rubbing his naked crotch against Eren's leather-clad one. Now Eren had him right where he wanted him. He stepped it up, dragging his mouth away from the agent's to kiss and lick a path down Levi's throat and chest.

"I want you," husked Eren against his lover's smooth, pale skin. "Want you so bad, Levi."

In fact, he wanted to fuck him right there in that chair. Eren sucked on his nipples one at a time, drawing low moans of pleasure from him. Levi's hands squeezed the singer's shoulders urgently. A drop of prefluid trickled down the length of the flushed cock pressing against Eren's crotch, and it smeared against his pants.

"I'm tempted to let you have me right here," purred Levi. It was like he'd read Eren's mind.

Unfortunately, Eren had no lubricant with him. Hell, it wasn't like he'd planned to end the night with his betrothed naked in his lap. He did have plenty of saliva, though. He was actually producing rather copious amounts of it...practically drooling in his lust. Eren hastily took the first two fingers of his right hand into his mouth, while still fondling Levi's nipples with his left hand. If he could get the man wet enough with his saliva...

Levi seemed to be thinking along the same lines. He fumbled with Eren's fly, his head lolling on his shoulders with pleasure as the singer kept stimulating his nipples. He got Eren's pants open and he reached in to liberate his erection, tugging his underwear down to expose him before easing the shaft out. Eren groaned around his fingers as Levi started stroking him off. Eren pumped his fingers in his mouth, working as much saliva over them as he could. When he thought they were slick enough, he withdrew them and he took Levi's right nipple between his lips again, teasing the pebbled bud with his tongue. Levi's breath hitched a little when Eren slipped his fingers between his buttocks to stroke his hole.

"Go ahead," encouraged Levi, rubbing against the probing digits enticingly. "Fuck me with your fingers, Eren."

Eren groaned again in response to his companion's lewd, sexy demand. He eased his first finger inside, feeling Levi's tight heat draw it in. He pumped a few times and he curled it against Levi's prostate when he felt it against his fingertip. Levi shivered and moaned softly. Further excited by the reactions he was getting, Eren kept it up until he could fit a second finger in. Levi rolled his hips in time with the singer's thrusts, his face flushing in response to the penetration.

Both of them completely forgot where they were, too absorbed in one another to consider anything else.

* * *

"Shouldn't it be about time for us to go in?" Petra asked the others standing outside in the hallway with her. "Hange said ten minutes, didn't she?"

Erwin checked his watch. "I haven't received a text from either her or Moblit yet."

"Well, it's been close to fifteen minutes by now," Nanaba pointed out. "I don't want to stand out here all night. Where did they go off to, anyway?"

"They said they were getting something out of Hange's car," Petra said with a shrug. "They should have come back by now to confirm we can go in."

"Hmph." Mike sniffed. "I'll tell you what they were getting. Getting in on."

They all looked at him. "Oh, come on," Nanaba stated dubiously. "I could see Hange doing something so irresponsible, but not Moblit."

"You forget the influence Hange has over him," Erwin reminded thoughtfully. "How many men would turn down an offer from their lover to have spontaneous sex?"

"Not many," Mike said with a nod. "They were both in the mood. I could smell it."

"Okay," Petra said with a blush. "Instead of debating whether they're doing it or not, shouldn't someone be trying to reach them on the phone?"

Erwin pulled out his phone with a sigh. "I'll do it. Hange is less likely to strangle me if I'm the one that interrupts anything."

Speaking of Hange, she stepped out of the elevator with Moblit just as Erwin started to search his contact list for her number. Her white button-up shirt was lopsided and she had a dreamy smile on her face. Moblit's blond hair was mussed tellingly.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting!" Hange called when their companions all turned to regard them. "We had a...thing to take care of."

"No kidding," muttered Mike.

The door to the party room opened, and Reiner poked his head out with a frown. "What are you all still doing out here? You should be inside by now. Everyone's waiting on you."

"My bad," Hange said hastily when she got a blameful glare from Nanaba. "I lost track of the time. I'm sure it's fine for us to go ahead now. Let's go in."

"Wait, aren't you going to check first?" Petra asked uncertainly. "What if Levi's still...um...indisposed?"

"The song isn't that long," Hange said with a shrug. "They've had ten minutes to wrap it up and you know how our grump is. He isn't likely to stand around nude when he's finished, knowing there's a room full of people on the other side of the door."

"She makes a good point," allowed Erwin. "I'm sure Eren had plenty of questions to ask Levi once he finished. They've probably been having a discussion."

"I really hope you're right and a conversation is going to be the only thing we're interrupting," muttered Nanaba.

* * *

Lips wet with mingled saliva, the engaged couple got more amorous with each other by the moment. Panting softly with sexual felicity, Levi rode Eren's pumping fingers enthusiastically. He'd started crying out lowly, comfortable enough not to overtly censor himself, since the music in the party room would drown out his vocalizations and nobody was likely to hear him.

"I want this fat cock inside of me," Levi said huskily to his fiancé, breaking the kiss. He stroked Eren faster, and he smirked when the other man bit his lip to hold back his own cry of pleasure. "You gonna make it, hot stuff? You won't blow your load too soon on me, will you?"

Eren swiveled the armchair around without being conscious of doing it, his legs moving restlessly of their own accord. "Trying not to," he gasped. "Fuck, Levi...you've got me so worked up. I...think you should stop, or I won't last long."

"You're turning us around in circles," informed the captain. "Trying to make me dizzy, or what?"

"Like you'd really get dizzy from a little spinning," Eren countered, chuckling breathlessly. He stopped, though. "Sorry. I wasn't doing it on purpose."

Levi took pity on him, and he stopped pumping his hand to hold Eren's cock by the root. He traced the singer's lips with the tip of his tongue, his breath catching as those long, talented fingers again tickled the sweet spot inside of him. "Shit, I think _I'm_ going to lose it. E-Eren...oi, cut that out. Unh...damn!"

Eren had evidently decided to take his revenge by continuously stroking his prostate, and he didn't head Levi's demand to stop. "It's okay if you come, sexy. I'm the one doing the entering this time, so I'm the one that needs to hold back my load, right?"

"Shit...fuck..." Levi's panting quickened, his brows furrowing as the pressure built to an intense level. He was definitely going to come any minute. "Eren...want to come...when you're inside me...Oh shit...oh shit!"

Eren kissed the agent to muffle his moaning protests, and he stopped teasing Levi's nipples to reach down and stroke his moist, twitching erection. His fingers kept busily rubbing inside of Levi, and his tongue lanced into his mouth demandingly. He hummed in his throat as he strove to bring the agent to completion despite Levi's objections.

Just when Levi was milliseconds away from orgasm, the door banged open behind him, the light from the party room flooded the chamber and several voices shouted: "SUPRISE!"

* * *

Hange popped the confetti bottle as they busted in on Eren and Levi. Mike popped the cork on the Champagne. Petra blew a blowout noisemaker, and Moblit carried the celebration cake in his hands. Everyone froze in place at the sight greeting them. Petra's noisemaker deflated with a sick sounding squeak. Confetti and glitter showered the two busy males in the chair, and Eren peeked over Levi's shoulder with huge, bewildered green eyes. Levi turned his head to look at their audience with a killing glare, seeming more angry than embarrassed by the interruption.

For several heartbeats, nobody moved.

"What's going on?" Connie hollered from the back of the crowd. "I can't see over all of you! Is everything cool in there?"

"No, I'd say everything's hot," Nanaba exclaimed. Her tone was dry but she was blushing as deeply as poor Petra, who was now choking after nearly swallowing her noisemaker.

It was in that ironic moment that Moblit's tie started to smoke. Hange smelled it before she saw the smoke curling up, and she quickly blew out the candles on the congratulatory cake and patted out her lover's tie before it could do more than smolder. She glanced at Erwin to see him standing like a statue, not even seeming to breathe.

"Okay, everyone out," Hange said, regaining her wits first. She started shooing them all, a rare blush making her face go ruddy.

Moblit abruptly dropped the cake and covered his eyes. "I didn't see anything!"

Petra spat out her noisemaker, and she covered her eyes as well. "Neither did I!"

"Okay, just back up," Hange urged, cringing as she looked over her shoulder to find Levi still staring them down with that death glare. "Mike, be careful!"

The big blond agent had bubbling champagne spilling over onto the floor, and he slipped on it and fell on his ass when he tried to back up. A curse exploded from his lips when he hit the floor, and Hange winced in sympathy. Krista started to come forward to help him, but Ymir held her back, having seen a glimpse of the scene over the shoulders of the people in front, thanks to her height. Moblit and Petra had already squeezed past everyone and gone out the door. Erwin seemed to come out of his daze, and he helped Mike to his feet before exiting with the other blond.

"Sorry guys," Hange apologized before walking out herself and shutting the door securely behind her. She leaned back against it once on the other side, and she groaned. "He's going to kill me for sure now."

Nanaba raised her eyebrows and looked around at everyone. "Well, I'd say we made an impression. Mission accomplished."

* * *

Once they were alone again, Levi dropped his forehead against Eren's with a sigh. "Damn. I was so close, too."

Both of their erections had deflated, and the moment was gone. It was hard to stay in the mood when half of their friends and coworkers just saw them getting it on. Eren was blushing as bright as a red sun, and he carefully withdrew his fingers from inside of Levi. "Is there any chance we can just sneak away without anybody seeing us?"

Levi lifted his head to look at him. "Sorry. Unless you want to crawl out through the air duct and use the fire escape ladders outside. Personally, I'd rather not. The only clothes I have available to me aren't going to stay in place squirming through an air duct."

Levi cupped his lover's chin. "Hey, look at me."

Eren met his gaze, looking for all the world like he just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. "We've got nothing to be ashamed of, here. _They_ busted in on _us_ with no warning. They locked you in here from the other side. We didn't have any reason to think they'd just come barging in here like that. I refuse to be shamed for their fuck up."

Eren tilted his head in a curious, canine-like manner.

"What?" pressed Levi.

"It's just...you've always been so conservative," Eren clarified. "You don't even like people to _hear_ what we're doing when we have sex. Why isn't this bothering you more?"

Levi lowered his gaze. Maybe he _should_ feel embarrassed, but right now, he just felt indignant. Their intentions had obviously been good ones, and he grudgingly accepted that their attempt to surprise him and Eren would have been pointless if they'd let them know they were coming. Still...

"Like I said; the blame for this isn't on us. They set this whole thing up. They should have figured they might walk in on something, even if it was just me still buck-ass naked. I'm surprised at least Erwin didn't consider that."

Levi sighed again. Shit. Erwin. The look on his face was etched into Levi's mind. The last thing he wanted was to flaunt his relationship with Eren in front of the man. Erwin was still in love with him, and Levi still loved him, even if not in the way he once did.

"Was that a front?" Eren asked him softly. "You _are_ embarrassed, aren't you? Maybe that air duct idea of yours isn't a bad one."

Levi considered telling him that it wasn't embarrassment making him hesitate, but trepidation over Erwin seeing them like that. This was supposed to be a special night for them, though, and he didn't want to invoke any jealous feelings in his intended.

"No. No, I'm not embarrassed," Levi assured him, meeting his eyes again. "Not this time. I'm just pissed off. Not just at our comrades, but at myself."

"Why are you mad at yourself?" Eren rubbed Levi's shoulders. "You were just saying this is on them and not on us."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have gotten so carried away. I should have put my clothes back on as soon as I finished my show for you, maybe just make out for you a bit and then rejoin the party. It was a dumb move on my part to let things go so far, knowing everyone was just on the other side of the door."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over that," Eren soothed. He kissed Levi's frowning lips. "You know what? You're right. We shouldn't feel guilty for anything. I mean, they had us locked in here. Hey, how were we supposed to even get out?"

"I was gonna text Hange and let her know we were finished. I brought a spare outfit to change into as well, but like a dumbass, I forgot it in her car. By the time I realized it, I was already in here and you were finishing up your set, so it was too late to try and get it. Shit, I'd better text the crazed bitch and tell her to go get my clothes, now that I think of it."

Levi reluctantly got off of the chair, and he walked over to the platform where he'd torn off his stripper outfit. He felt Eren's gaze on him as he bent over to search through the pockets of the jacket—which like the cloak and boots were actually functional pieces of clothing. His groin started to stir shamelessly when he glanced back to see his lover's eyes caressing his body.

"Quit looking at me like that," Levi said with a smirk. "You're getting me stirred up again, and we don't need a repeat of what happened earlier."

Eren whistled a little tune and obligingly looked away. "Sorry. You're like a magnet for my eyes."

Levi picked up his jacket and searched the pockets. He frowned, finding no trace of his phone. He could have sworn he'd put it in there. He picked up his cloak and he draped it over his shoulders for some cover, searching the area for the device. Maybe it fell out when he dropped the jacket on the floor.

"What's the matter?" called Eren, noticing his soft swearing and pacing.

"I can't find my phone," answered Levi. "I know I brought the damned thing with me, but it's not...oh, wait a minute. I'm an idiot. I know where it is."

He'd forgotten all about the trench coat he'd worn over his outfit while sneaking in here. He'd slipped his phone into that so that he wouldn't risk dropping and breaking it while he was dancing. Shaking his head at his own carelessness, Levi located the trench coat, draped over a chair in the far corner of the room where he'd left it. He fished out the cell phone and he sent a text to Hange.

 _"Bring me my real clothes, if you want to keep living."_

Mere seconds later, the door leading to the party room opened up a crack, and a pair of gray pants, black boxer briefs and a black silk shirt sailed into the room. A pair of black dress shoes came spinning in after them, chucked one at a time. The door closed again.

"Seriously?" Levi growled. "She just threw my fucking clothes on the floor!"

Never mind that he'd done the exact same thing during his strip tease. Seeing his real clothes handled so carelessly on top of everything else practically made the captain steam at the ears.

"I'll get them, Levi," offered Eren hastily. He'd tucked himself back in and done his pants up while Levi was looking for his phone. He got out of the chair and gathered up the clothing articles while Levi crossed the room. Eren handed them over to him, watching the smaller man warily.

"Hey, you aren't the one I'm pissed off at," Levi told him reassuringly. He sat down in the armchair to take his boots off. "You don't need to look at me like I'm about to kick the shit out of you, Eren. Right now, Hange's at the top of my shit list."

"And she's the one I'm worried about," Eren stated seriously. "That look on your face right now makes me seriously fear for her life."

Levi huffed, and he got back up and removed his cloak to get dressed, wearing nothing save his socks. "Tch. I'm not going to kill her." He pulled his underwear on first, and he followed up with the pants. "I can't promise not to hurt her, though."

"Levi, please don't," Eren sighed. "She obviously knows she messed up, and she was just trying to do something nice for us. Yeah, it sucks what happened earlier, and I'm still embarrassed as hell over it, but she didn't know we'd be doing that. The more I think of it, the more I wish I'd had the sense to send her a text myself telling her not to let anyone disturb us. I wasn't thinking with my brain, though."

"Heh. So what part were you thinking with?" Levi demonstrated more rare behavior by favoring the other man with a flirty, teasing wink.

Eren flushed again, biting his lip on a smile. "You know which part."

Levi glanced down at the part in question. "Yeah, well so was I. Guess we're both guilty of that."

Eren approached him as the agent slipped his shirt on, and he helped him button it up. Levi dropped his arms and allowed it, watching Eren's handsome face as the singer concentrated on doing up his shirt for him.

"Please don't hurt Hange," murmured Eren.

Levi sighed. "She fucking humiliated you. What kind of husband would I make if I let things like that slide?"

Eren smiled at him in that boyish, loving way of his. He finished buttoning up Levi's shirt, and he caressed his face.

"What?" Levi muttered, feeling a telling heat rising in his cheeks in response to that look.

Eren shrugged. "Nothing. It's just...you're so protective of me. You won't even let someone embarrass me and get away with it."

Levi shrugged. "The way I see it, you embarrass yourself enough as it is. You don't need other people helping you."

Eren grimaced. "Ouch."

Levi ruffled his hair. "There are worse qualities someone can have than being an adorable klutz, kiddo." He pulled Eren's head down to plant a kiss on the crown of it. "Now, lets go out there and get through the rest of this damned party. I promise I won't get physically violent with Hange, if it bothers you that much."

Eren visibly relaxed, and he smiled at him. "Thanks, beautiful."

* * *

-To be continued


	43. Chapter 43

_Author's note: The song "Dancing Queen" belongs to chapter has been censored to comply with Fanfiction net's rating policy. You can read the uncensored version at Archive of our Own.  
_

* * *

"I can't believe it's your wedding day!" Madeline beamed at her son as she helped Eren secure the tie that went with his black groom's tuxedo. "The time flew by faster than I thought it would. I've been so eager to see this day happen, I thought it would take forever to get here."

Eren smiled at his mother, and he let her put a red rose in the breast pocket of his jacket. It was a pity that Ymir and Historia couldn't make it to the wedding, but the timing wasn't right for them in their current situation. It was a wonder they'd managed to take time out to travel and attend his bachelor party.

"Yeah, I can't believe it either," confessed the singer. "I never expected to get married someday, but then Levi came into my life and now I can't wait! Oh shit...the ring!"

He started frantically feeling around in his pockets for the white gold band he was supposed to put on Levi's finger.

"It's right there in its case where you put it, cinnamon roll," Madeline assured him, pointing him toward the vanity mirror drawers.

Eren found it sitting on the surface, and he picked it up and opened it just to be sure. He breathed a sigh of relief. Levi's band was safe and sound in the velvet case. Etched with wing-like patterns on the outer side and inscribed with the words: _'Levi and Eren, forever in love and free'_ on the inner side, he thought the band was perfect. It wasn't flashy and from a distance, it could be mistaken for a plain men's wedding band. It was the subtle etching and engraving that made the piece special. Eren's band was the exact same, except his was yellow gold and it had Eren's name first in the engraving.

"Mom, could you hold onto this for me until it's time to exchange the rings?" Eren pleaded. "I'm terrified I'm going to misplace it or it'll fall out of my pocket somehow."

Madeline took the case with a nod, and she put it in the reticule matching her pale teal dress. "Of course, honey. I won't let anything happen to it."

Eren looked his mother up and down, taking in the twists she'd fashioned her hair into, the jeweled combs holding it into place, and the way the colors complimented her complexion and eyes. "You look beautiful by the way, Ma."

Madeline's eyes lit up. "And you look stunningly handsome, son. Oh! I nearly forgot...Levi would kill me if I failed to give you yours."

Eren scratched his head in perplexity when Madeline went to the large handbag she'd brought with to hold all of her makeup and various primping items, and she pulled out a box. She walked back to Eren, and she opened it up to show him a flower wreath with gold and green ribbons twining around it and trailing in the back. White and green flowers were woven into the wreath that Eren couldn't identify. The flowers matched his green bowtie and cumber bun.

"Well, put it on," instructed Madeline. "I had a bitch of a time convincing Levi to wear his. That poor boy went so red in the face when I pulled the 'Mother in Law' card on him and told him it was a family tradition for mothers to give something to both their children and their in-law on their wedding day to carry for luck."

"But...flowers?" Eren obediently took the wreath and put it on his head. "Don't you think that's a little girly?"

"No, I think it's adorable, and spring isn't over yet, so it fits!" Madeline winked. "It's only for one day."

Eren sighed. "And I gave the guy from 'The Beat' a VIP pass to take exclusive photos and promised him an after-wedding interview. Levi's going to have kittens."

"That's such an odd phrase," mused Madeline.

"It mean's he's going to flip out," provided Eren.

"Oh. Well, it makes me picture your cute little agent crapping out adorable little kittens all the way to the alter."

"Please don't share that with him." Eren laughed nervously. "Levi's already going along with so much, and his patience has limits."

It was still going to be a relatively small event, but Eren had convinced Levi to let him book the chapel in the big garden center on the north side of Tarsus Valley, as well as the reception dome for afterwards. They also booked a live DJ for music after Eren decided he'd rather his band be able to mingle and celebrate with the crowd, rather than play tunes for the event. Catering had been set up as well, and of course, there would be a wedding cake and a champagne fountain. All in all, it had turned out to be a larger event than Levi originally wanted, but he grudgingly agreed that as a celebrity, Eren was expected to have _some_ extravagance at his wedding.

The one thing Levi refused to get on board with was having the press show up, but there was no way to avoid that. They were already lining the gates outside the garden center, snapping shots of anyone seen coming or going from the dome or the chapel and hoping to spot band members. Security was keeping them out of the actual property so that they couldn't disturb anyone while the ceremony went on, but Eren was quite aware that he and Levi were going to get surrounded by them when they left in their limo afterwards.

"Eren, you're worrying too much," advised Madeline. "He loves you, and the fact that he's willing to indulge my silly romantic notions and wear his wreath is proof of that. Even if Levi does get a little upset over the magazine guy and the interview, I'm sure he'll forget all about it once you make it to your wedding night suite."

Eren smirked. "You don't know Levi that well yet, Mom. Even if he lets it go for the sake of our special day, I'm going to hear something about it later."

Madeline shrugged. "I still think you two should have taken me and Hange's advice and left for your honeymoon straight after the wedding. Two weeks at a tropical resort might have relaxed him enough not to bring it up at all."

Eren sighed. "Yeah, maybe. We want to get a house secured before we take our honeymoon, though. That way when we get back, it should be available for move in and we can have the real estate hunting out of the way. We're just trying to space out all the stressful stuff, so we don't end up spending our honeymoon thinking of all the shit we've got to do when we get back."

"Hmm, when you put it that way, I bow to your wisdom."

The door to Eren's dressing room in the chapel opened, and Mikasa and Armin came in after knocking briefly. Both Eren and Levi had a Maid of Honor and a Best Man. Mikasa and Armin were respectively the singer's. The former was wearing a royal blue gown with lacy white sleeves. Matching lace lined the hem of her stylish attire. She wore a white fashion floppy hat with blue flowers lining the bow, and her hair—which had grown down to her mid-back since things had settled—was braided and decorated with the same flowers lining her hat. Armin was dressed in a gray tuxedo with a white shirt and a gray tie. His hair was tied back with a white ribbon that somehow made him look more stylish than feminine.

"Eren are you ready? It's nearly time," Armin said.

At the same time, Mikasa approached with a soft smile, looking the singer up and down with an approving nod. "You look very handsome." Her eyes fell on the flowers crowning his head, and she smirked.

"Come on, don't laugh at me guys," pleaded Eren when Armin noticed the flowers too and hid a smile behind his fingertips. "It was Mom's idea."

The both of them composed themselves, and Mikasa took Eren's arm to urge him out the door. "If anyone can get away with the look, it's you. Let's not keep your groom waiting, Eren."

* * *

Levi glared at his reflection in the full-length mirror, his hands itching to remove the crown of flowers resting on his black hair. The only thing that kept him from doing it was the fact that Madeline had crafted it herself and begged him as his mother-in-law to do it for her. The ribbons twisted through it were silver and royal blue, and the flowers were white and blue. With a sigh, Levi smoothed his hands over his white tuxedo jacket, checking his blue tie once more to be sure it was straight. He frowned when he noticed a wrinkle in his blue cumber bun that shouldn't be there, and he smoothed it out.

"Well, I look like a dick."

He hadn't noticed the door crack open to his dressing room, and he gave a start when Hange's voice blasted through his thoughts. "No you don't! You look...oh my, Erwin, just look at him!"

She started to laugh, her cheeks going pink with fond adoration at the sight of Levi. "That flower crown is just...so adorable...oh, and it matches your wedding outfit so nicely! Don't you agree, Erwin?"

Erwin coughed politely behind his hand. "Excuse me. Yes, it's quite becoming."

"Don't lie," grumbled Levi. "I look like I'm going to some little girl's imaginary tea party."

"Oh, don't be silly," enthused Hange. "You look very dashing. Eren's going to melt when he sees you. So, how do _I_ look, Levi?" She gave a little twirl, showing of the yellow, gold-laced dress suit and gold strappy fashion shoes. Fortunately they had low heels, so she didn't lose her balance and go crashing into anything. Her hair was coiled up into a neat bun, with golden butterfly pins decorating it here and there. Her glasses were gold-rimmed as well, and they had the likeness of butterflies on the ear pieces.

"Yellow is your color," Levi approved. In truth, she looked very pretty. He wasn't used to seeing Hange all dolled up like this. She was even wearing makeup, with earth-toned shadow on her eyes that brought out the color of them.

Levi turned his attention to Erwin. His attire was more subtle, but no less charming. He was wearing an expensive three-piece tuxedo suit with a bolo tie rather than a regular one. The bolo tie reminded Levi strongly of the one Erwin used to wear back in the previous life, and it gave him a certain feel of nostalgia.

"And you look every bit the secret agent ladies' man," Levi observed of the tall blond. "So, how many panties are you planning to get into tonight?"

"None," answered Erwin with a smirk. "But the day is young, so anything could happen."

"Tch. I'm sure they'll be lining up on your coattails. Well, let's get this over with."

Levi started to take a step towards the door, but his feet were frozen to the spot.

Hange raised a brow at him. "What's wrong? Did you forget something?"

"Yeah," answered Levi with a swallow. "How to walk."

Erwin and Hange glanced at each other, and then back at Levi.

"I can't feel my legs," said Levi, and he was finding it hard to catch his breath.

"Oh dear. Levi, are you panicking?" Hange went to his side and she put an arm around him when he started slowly sinking to the floor. She helped him right himself, and Erwin got on his other side to offer his support as well.

"I don't...panic," wheezed Levi...but panicking was what he seemed to be doing. "Fuck. What's wrong with me?"

"Pre-wedding jitters," explained Hange with a sage nod. "I was wondering if this was going to happen. You and your aversion to public affection. You aren't getting cold feet, are you dear?"

"I can't even... _feel_ my feet," he muttered breathlessly.

"All right, sit down," commanded Erwin. He guided Levi over to a bench with Hange's help, and they eased him down onto it. "Deep, slow breaths. You've faced down horrors that most people cannot even imagine, Levi. You can make it through your wedding day."

"This is...different from...committing myself to an organization," Levi tried to explain. He thought of how many people he'd lost, people that he'd dared to love. He knew he was being pathetic and stupid, but what if him loving someone meant their eventual doom? He loved Eren Jaeger so much that he was willing to exchange surnames with him in the bonds of matrimony. One single person that he was willing to give himself to, body, heart and soul. Could Jaeger survive so much love from the likes of him?

"I need to use the bathroom," Levi said through numb lips. "Need to take a shit before it starts."

Hange and Erwin glanced at each other, and then Hange smiled soothingly at Levi. "All right, grump. Go ahead and have your shit. We'll be here."

He got back up on shaky legs and he went to the restroom connecting to his dressing room, feeling bile rising in his stomach.

* * *

The music started, and Eren was practically bouncing with nervous energy as he and his companions began making their way to the alter. His mother took the lead of the trio, having been assigned as the flower girl. Madeline started scattering the rose petals before them, and she could imagine her husband's spirit watching over the event, just as proud as she was.

 _~Our sweet boy is getting married, love. No grandbabies will come of this, but our Eren is going to be with someone that's willing to put his life on the line for him...someone that will protect him and will never hurt him. I know that you'd approve, and I know you're here with us to see it.~_

Madeline Jaeger was a very proud mother, indeed.

* * *

"Levi? Hey, the music's started! You'd better get your little butt out there!"

Hange knocked on the bathroom door again, and she received no reply. Now she was getting worried. She'd never seen Levi in a full-blown panic attack before, and her imagination started conjuring up images of her grumpy pipsqueak friend passed out on the bathroom floor with his pants down around his ankles.

"This isn't funny, grump," Hange warned, her expression going flat with concern. She knocked again. "Levi, talk to me! Don't make me come in there!"

Still no answer. Hange bit her lip, and she cast a frantic look around. Erwin had left the room to check on the progression of Levi's groom and his escorts. Hange grimaced, realizing that she once again was about to toss herself right into the line of fire. This could be a medical emergency, though. Surely Levi would forgive her if she had to bust in there to administer CPR or something.

"Okay Levi," she called, bracing herself, "you haven't left me any choice! I _really_ didn't want to do this, but since you aren't answering, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do!"

With an aggressive shout, Hange ran at the door and slammed her shoulder against it. The door shuddered but held, and she backed up and did it again.

"Oh, fuck me...I'm going to throw my shoulder out, you little asshole!"

She charged again, and the door burst open on her second try. Hange nearly overbalanced and went head-first into the open toilet, but she caught herself with a huff of breath. Levi was nowhere to be found. The crown of flowers that Madeline had made for him lay on the floor, and it was a miracle that Hange didn't trample it. Hange knelt down and she scooped it up, looking around with confusion. The bathroom window was little more than an air vent, but it was open. She could just picture Levi scrambling out of it. He was small enough to fit.

"Ackerman, you little shit," growled Hange. She sighed, cradling the wreath against her chest as she bowed her head. "Don't do this to him, Levi."

* * *

Erwin nearly jumped when someone poked him sharply between the shoulder blades from behind. He turned, instinctively falling into a defensive stance, and he relaxed when he saw Hange. His gaze flicked to the flower wreath she held in her hands, and he frowned.

"Why are you holding that?"

Hange sighed in an exhausted manner. "Levi left it behind when he snuck out the bathroom window. I guess he was more panicked than we thought."

Erwin's mind raced. It seemed impossible that Levi Ackerman would back out of a commitment at the very last moment. "Are you sure?"

Hange's jaw clenched, and for a moment, she seemed to channel their missing friend's attitude. "No. I'm holding this because I think it highlights my eyes."

Unused to being snapped at by Hange, Erwin winced. "All right, calm down. He can't be far."

Hange's anxiety was apparent in her wide, red-brown eyes. "What are we going to _do_ , Erwin? Eren's about to be waiting at that goddamned alter for his groom, and when Levi doesn't show, it's going to rip him apart! Oh, _damn_ that puny little bastard for picking _this_ of all times to lose his nuts!"

"Hange, lower your voice," Erwin commanded in a hushed yet urgent tone when he saw the flash of a camera from over the stone wall off to the left. "We don't need this advertised."

Hange visibly struggled to calm herself. "We have to do something, Erwin. We can't just sit here and let Eren get stood up at the alter."

"I agree," stated the blond. He scratched his chin. "Levi is fond of heights; particularly when he needs to clear his head."

He exited the chapel, and Hange followed closely behind. Sure enough, Erwin looked up and he found the object of their concern crouching on the rooftop, staring off into the distance. Hange's mouth fell open when she spotted him as well.

"Now, how in Neptune's panties did he manage to get up _there_ without ODM gear?"

Erwin smirked humorlessly. "It's Levi. To this day, I'm still convinced that he's part feline. Hange, stall the wedding ceremony while I find a way to get up there and speak with him."

"Stall it?" Hange spread her hands in perplexity. "How?"

Erwin's blue gaze met hers, and now there was genuine amusement in his voice. "You're Hange. I have faith that you'll find a way."

Hange blew a low sigh, looking off to the left. "Well, I suppose I can improvise. Just help Levi find his balls again and I'll take care of the rest."

"I'll do what I can," promised Erwin. They parted ways, with Hange heading into the chapel and Erwin searching for a way to scale the walls and join Levi on the roof.

* * *

Levi heard Erwin's grunts of effort before he even saw the blond head crowning the rooftop. With a sigh, he got to his feet, walked over to the edge of the roof and offered a hand to his superior.

"You look winded, old man. Need a hand up?"

"Thanks," gasped Erwin, reaching for the smaller man's offered hand.

He crested the rose trellis and he squirmed up onto the rooftop with Levi's help. Breathing a sigh of relief, Erwin straightened up and he smoothed some rose petals and leaves out of his suit. For a moment, the two of them just gazed silently at one another, and then Erwin's gaze slid to the horizon.

"It's a nice view up here."

Levi shrugged. "It's okay." He glanced at the flower wreath that Erwin held clutched in his left hand. "Let me guess: you're here to talk some sense into me."

"No, I'm here to elope with you." Erwin looked at him sidelong, and he chuckled. "I think your sarcasm is contagious."

"Heh." Levi managed a little smirk. "So I'm infectious. Nice to know."

Erwin sobered, and he reached out with one hand to gently turn the smaller man by the shoulder to face him. "He loves you. More than anything."

Levi lowered his gaze. His voice was practically a whisper. "Yeah."

"And you love him," continued Erwin softly, "just as much as he loves you."

Levi sighed, and he nodded. "Yeah."

"Then why did you come up here?" demanded Erwin. "He's inside waiting for you. I understand that marriage is a big step, but—"

"I panicked, okay?" Levi's eyes narrowed defensively. "I've never done anything like this before. It hit me all the sudden, and...and I've always lost everyone I cared too much for. I'm..."

"Frightened," Erwin whispered, finishing the sentence for him. He nodded, and his chiseled features relaxed into an expression of sympathy. He rubbed Levi's shoulder. "Fear never stopped you before. Don't let it stop you now."

Levi's resulting sigh fluttered, almost like a trapped bird's wings. "I've never been so fucking terrified in my life," he admitted. "I want him...want to _be_ with him, but things never end well when I care too much. Damn it Erwin, why are _you_ of all people standing here trying to give me a pep talk?"

Erwin's hand slid up from Levi's shoulder to his neck, and then he caressed the agent's sculpted jaw. "Because I've learned how to love you. It isn't about me. It's about wanting you to have your heart's desire, and that's obviously Eren Jaeger."

He lowered his gaze, and the humorless smirk returned to his lips. "In our past life, I was a selfish bastard. I wanted you, but I never truly considered your feelings. Letting you go was difficult for me. To this day, I still think I did it more to save face than to give you the freedom to be with someone more deserving of you than I was."

Erwin met the smaller man's troubled gray eyes. "But Levi, hear me now. You have been through hell and back to secure that boy's safety. You've faced down terrors that would leave other men little more than trembling wrecks, and you did it _not_ because you wanted to be in Eren's bed, but because you couldn't imagine a world without him. He was once a nuisance to you...an assignment that you took on for the good of humanity. He became the most important thing in life to you, whether you would admit it or not. Such devotion shouldn't be trivialized or set aside. It isn't just love that lends you so much strength in combat. It's also the most pure and perfect loyalty that I've ever seen in either life."

Levi was annoyed to feel his eyes stinging. "Poetic schmuck."

Erwin laughed huskily, and he shrugged his broad shoulders. "Maybe I am, but I think I've made my point. People do die, Levi, but it isn't because you love them."

He dropped his hand, and he gently cupped the flower wreath in both hands to place it on Levi's head. "Go and get married, Levi. You'll be fine."

Levi stared at him, drawing strength that he didn't even knew he needed from the tall blond's presence. "You've changed," he whispered. He vaguely recalled making the observation before, but never was it so apparent to him as it was now. The Erwin Smith he'd known in the past would have probably been happy to let his marriage plans tank so that he could move in on him. There was still that ruthless tactician in there, but now there was a sincere chivalry to Erwin that had always been—in Levi's opinion—just for show in the past.

Erwin nodded. "Yes, I have. So have you. So have we all." He bent over to place a soft kiss on the crown of Levi's head. "Go, Levi. Marry your Eren. God knows, you've both earned some happiness."

That was it. Levi had to turn away from him, or he was going to break down like a baby. He took a moment to compose himself, before turning back around to face Erwin again. He looked up at him solemnly, ignoring the embarrassing crown of flowers on his head. "Maybe you aren't such a dick after all. You've got to come down with me, though. You're my Best Man."

Erwin laughed, tossing his head back and letting the sound of his amusement vibrate in his throat. "Of course, Levi. After you. Ladies first."

"Oh, you can go fuck yourself," groused Levi, self-consciously touching the flowers crowning his head. "I did this for Mads. I don't need any shit from you."

"'Mads', is it?" Erwin smirked, and he followed the smaller man to the edge of the rooftop. "You really are fond of her, aren't you? Don't be embarrassed; she's a very likeable woman. Strong, opinionated, attractive—"

"Don't fucking go there," warned Levi, pausing in the act of swinging his legs over the side of the roof. "She's off-limits to you, giant."

"Why?" Erwin teased, sitting down beside the dark-haired agent. "She's single, and she's around my age. I would seek Eren's approval first, of course, but—"

"You're gonna make me puke right over the side of this roof, if you keep it up. Don't tell me you can't get why it would be weird as hell."

"Perhaps awkward in the beginning," admitted Erwin. "But with time, you might warm up to the thought."

"Yeah, my ex-lover dating my husband's mom. Sure. That's just what I need. Quit being such a creep, already." Levi dropped off the roof and landed quietly in the grass below. He turned to look up at his companion expectantly. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

Erwin was staring down at the ground beneath him with a look of absurd concentration on his face. "It seems much higher up than it did when I climbed up."

Levi's mouth fell open, and it took him a moment to gather his thoughts. " _What_? Don't tell me Erwin Smith, the man with balls of steel, is afraid of a little drop from a roof!"

Erwin visibly flushed. "I didn't say I'm afraid. I just...perhaps you should move aside. I'd hate to land on you by accident. Just give me a minute and I'll be right down."

Levi made an impatient sound. "Tch. You big idiot. You've fucking 'treed' yourself."

"I haven't," protested Erwin...but he wasn't moving.

"For crying out loud," sputtered Levi, seeing through the fib. "Hold on...I'm coming back up."

* * *

"Don't worry, everyone!" Hange advised into the microphone that she'd lifted from the DJ. "Groom number two just had a...a little wardrobe malfunction. He'll be right out. In the meantime, how about a little sing-a-long, eh? Hey, what songs do you have on this thing?"

Jean leaned toward Connie to whisper to him as Hange discussed it with the DJ. "A sing-a-long? What the hell's going on?"

"Dude, I know as much about it as you do," whispered Connie back.

Up by Eren on either side of him, Mikasa and Armin looked just as confused. Eren was looking around searchingly, evidently more troubled by the absence of his groom than Hange's weird idea of passing the time.

"Oooh, perfect!" Crowed Hange once she picked out a song. "This gadget of yours has karaoke capabilities, right?"

The DJ nodded, and Hange pointed out the song she wanted. "This one. I'll sing this one. Moblit, come up here with me! I need backup!"

Moblit nearly spit out the wine he was drinking. "Uh...really? I don't think...that is, I'm not really a good singer, Hange."

"Pfft, and you think I _am_? Come on up here. Don't be shy. I'm sure compared to me, you'll sound like Eren."

Moblit sighed, downed the rest of his glass of wine and stood up to join her. The tune "Dancing Queen" started up, and Hange led with the first verse. She nudged her male companion meaningfully during the first chorus, and Moblit awkwardly joined in."

"I really don't want to be a party pooper," Nanaba said to Mike during the middle of the song, "but they are really fucking awful."

"No kidding," he muttered back to her, and then he practiced a form of chivalry by covering up her ears. "Levi had better move his ass and get up there. I think Jaeger's about to have a conniption."

"What?"

Mike shook his head. "Never mind."

He kept his palms over his girlfriend's ears protectively, and he smirked at the way Eren was wincing every time Hange hit a sour note. It was probably more torturous for the tone-sensitive singer than it was for anyone else attending the wedding, but Eren was too kind-hearted to interrupt or criticize Hange and Moblit's terrible singing.

Sadly, the song did not end before Levi finally arrived with Erwin at his side. Eren visibly relaxed with a smile at the sight of his betrothed, clearly relieved to see him. Levi almost seemed like he was about to smile back at him, but then Hange's rough voice practically screeched the final chorus, and the former scout captain stared at her with open horror. Mike started to snort helplessly, and he heard Petra giggle behind him. Seeing Levi Ackerman react so openly was a sight to behold, indeed.

Levi marched up to Hange and snatched the microphone out of her hand.

"What the hell are you trying to do, scare everyone off?" he said just loudly enough to be heard over the background music. "You're a sadist, four eyes."

Hange took it in stride, just the way she usually did when the surly man criticized her. "I was just entertaining people while they waited, Levi. You're here now though, so go and get married!"

Madeline burst into approving applause. "I was starting to wonder if you fell in, honey! Let's get the show on the road!"

Levi looked vaguely uncomfortable with his soon-to-be mother-in-law's observation, and he handed the mic over to the DJ with a nod. The DJ faded the song out skillfully, and he started up the Wedding March. Moblit hurried back to his chair and Hange stood on Levi's right side, while Erwin stood on his left. Armin and Mikasa likewise did the same for Eren, and the celebrant stepped up before the engaged couple to begin the ceremony. He started with the usual line of introductory, and he paused afterwards to regard both young men respectively.

"Have you any special words you would like to say to one another before the final vow, gentlemen?"

Levi shook his head, but Eren chirped up quickly, his vivid eyes alight with excitement and happiness. "I do!"

"He hasn't gotten to that part yet," muttered Levi, flushing.

"No, I mean I have something I want to say in our vows," explained Eren with a chuckle.

"Oh." Levi shifted on his feet, clearly struggling to keep his expression neutral. "Yeah? I didn't know we were doing that."

Eren shrugged. "I wasn't exactly planning it, but since he's asked, I just want to say a few words."

The celebrant smiled. "Go ahead then, son."

Eren needed no further encouragement. He took his lover's hands in his, and he gazed into his eyes. "I just want to say that I've loved you since before we even met in this life. You're that piece of me that I've always felt was missing, Levi. No power in the world could change that, and I...I want to spend every day of the rest of my life cherishing you. Thank you for saying 'yes', and thank you for saving me...again and again."

If any part of his speech confused onlookers, Eren's poetic declaration blew away their confusion. There were appreciative sighs and murmurs, and Madeline dabbed at her eyes with a lacy handkerchief. Hange's lower lips trembled and her brown-red eyes were starting to well up with tears. She nudged Levi and sniffed.

"Aren't you going to say something back, shrimp?" she whispered loudly.

Levi's face was getting quite pink. "I...er...shit, I suck at this..."

Erwin chuckled softly behind his hand, and he cleared his throat and sobered up when Levi shot a warning glare at him. Finally, Levi took a deep breath, and he spoke again.

"Thanks for...being Eren," stated the captain plainly. He looked almost shy. "Told you I suck at this..."

Eren, however, seemed to be of a differing opinion. He put his arms around Levi with a thrilled little smile. "Sometimes a short sentence is better than a big speech, beautiful."

"Mike, get your hands off my ears," complained Nanaba. "I missed what he just said!"

"Something really sappy," answered the shaggy blond with a smirk. "I think Hange's about to turn into soup."

Hange was fanning her eyes to try and keep them dry, but to no avail. "Oh shut it, Mike. Let me have my moment!"

"Don't worry, I've got it all on video," Petra assured the blonde pilot. "I'll email it to you!"

"Well then," said the celebrant, "Let's move on to the finish! Do you, Eren Jaeger, take Levi Ackerman to be your lawfully wedded spouse, from this day forward in sickness and in health?"

"Totally," agreed Eren.

The celebrant turned to Levi and asked him the same thing. Levi gave a nod. "I do."

"Have you the rings?"

For a moment, both young men looked equally panicked. Madeline rushed up to hand over the box she'd been holding for her son, alleviating his concern. Hange rummaged frantically through her vest pockets, and she wiped her brow with visible relief when she found the box Levi had given to her for safe keeping.

"I really don't know why you picked me to hold onto this instead of Erwin," she mumbled, offering it up. "I've still got it, though!"

"I was wondering the same," admitted Erwin softly.

Levi took the box from her, and the tension faded from his small frame. "Crisis averted. Nicely done, shitty glasses. Thanks."

The celebrant chuckled under his breath with amusement. "I have to say, this is one of the more entertaining ceremonies I've conducted. Please exchange the rings."

Yellow and white gold bands were removed from their cases and placed on the two men's ring fingers. Eren and Levi stared at one another as they slipped them on, equally spellbound by each other.

"Okay, kiss!" Hange crowed before the celebrant could open his mouth to formally pronounce the couple married. "Oops...sorry, that's your job," she said when the man raised a brow at her.

"Well, you heard the lady," he said after a moment. "By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You know the rest."

"I sure do," agreed Eren, tugging his new spouse closer. His mouth descended eagerly to Levi's, and the smaller man's fingers slid into Eren's hair as they kissed. Hange hooted with elation, and Sasha led the applause with a standing ovation. Eren kept kissing Levi as if they were under that pavilion completely alone, clearly forgetting all else save for the man in his arms.

* * *

-To be continued


	44. Chapter 44

**_Author's Note:_** _This chapter has been heavily censored due to FFnet's rating policy. You may read the uncut version at Archive of Our Own._

"Still can't believe you let media in to take pictures of our wedding," groused Levi softly as he and Eren pulled up to the next real estate they would be looking at.

Eren shrugged. "Someone was bound to sneak pictures and publish them anyway. The way I see it, letting Karl from 'The Beat' have a pass at least insures some good pictures will be floating out there with a fair story behind them. Trust me, there's going to be all kinds of rumors and speculation over what kind of reception we had."

Levi shrugged. He was retiring from undercover operations and running his own special operations department, now. It was mostly deskwork, but after the year he'd had, he was actually okay with that. "Let's just hope this one is catchier than the last five we've looked at so far this week."

This house was on the north side of town. It was Tarsus Valley modern style, with a rock garden out front surrounding a small water fountain, a sizeable yard out back complete with a privacy fence, a patio deck, a covered pool and hot tub area and a fire pit for barbeques. It looked nice in the pictures, but whether it would be as impressive in person remained to be seen.

Levi stopped the car behind their real estate agent's, put it into park and got out. Eren followed suit, and the lady was waiting at the door with the key smiling at them.

"Shall we, gentlemen?"

The couple glanced at each other, both eager to find their ideal home but wary of picking out something just to get the real estate shopping over with. Levi nodded. "Let's check it out."

* * *

The agent gave them a tour of the house. Eren was impressed by the terra cotta floors throughout; which meant it would stay cooler in the summer and there would be no need for carpet care. The master bedroom was huge, and the guest bedroom was just a step or two down in size. The fireplaces in both bedrooms were artificial electric ones, with digital flames. The one in the center of the living room was real. The office was big enough to fit two desks and a bookshelf. The kitchen had black granite top counters, a six-element stove, a spot for a dishwashing machine and a double-door fridge with two freezer drawer compartments beneath. The cabinets and island were made of dark cherrywood, and all of the appliances were black. There was even a bar and a wine fridge under the island.

So far, Levi seemed most impressed with the kitchen. Eren leaned toward him as the real estate agent wrote something down, and he whispered into his spouse's ear.

"What do you think?"

Levi looked around thoughtfully. "I like the kitchen and bathrooms. The bedrooms are big. Living room's nice. I know you're all about the pool and the hot tub."

Eren smirked. "Guilty. I really like the place. Do you think this could be it?"

Levi sighed. "I like it too, but there's one drawback: no laundry room."

The real estate lady overheard him say that, and she approached the couple. "Actually, we haven't gotten to that part of the tour yet, Mr. Ackerman. We passed the laundry room while I was showing you the main features of the home. It's located right by the master bedroom in the back. Allow me to show you that feature."

Levi shrugged, and they followed her down the back hall leading to the master bedroom and connecting master bathroom. She opened up a door they had passed earlier to reveal a sizeable laundry room with it's own access door out to the pool deck. It was already equipped with a new washer, dryer, built-in folding ironing board cabinet and even a small, spare freezer.

"Hmm, all right, I stand corrected," Levi said, looking around. "What about storage? The attic access you showed us didn't look like much. Just enough crawl space to stash a few boxes and for a maintenance guy to get up into if necessary."

"The previous owners actually built a storage room onto the garage," explained the agent. "They didn't want a shed in the back because they thought it would look tacky. Here, let me show you that."

They followed her to the two-car garage and through a door facing the back yard. It was a decent-sized storage room with a ceiling fan and a couple of windows looking out to the back and side yards. Eren smiled, and he gently nudged his hubby.

"Well? _Well_?"

Levi looked between his spouse's eager face and the real estate agent's smiling one, and he sighed and smirked. "I guess we'll be taking it."

"Hey could you excuse us for a minute?" Eren requested of their guide. She nodded, and he took Levi's hand and led him back through the garage and the access door leading into the living room.

"Hey, you can tell I really like this place, but are you sure you want it too? I don't want you settling for something just because I want it."

Levi put his hands on the singer's shoulders, gazing into his eyes. "Eren, it's got everything I need, plus a few extra features I like. I wasn't expecting the sunroom, for one. That's a nice bonus. I like the place. I'm just being anal retentive like usual."

Eren embraced him, breathing in his fresh, clean scent. "I think we could be happy here. I just want to make sure you're on board with it."

"Yeah, I'm on board with it, so let's start talking business with the lady and get this ball rolling before someone else snatches this place up."

* * *

Eren sighed and relaxed against the beach lounger he was reclined in. Beside him on the table between the two loungers was a pair of tropical cocktail drinks; one blue and one green. He had no idea what all was in his besides rum, but it tasted really good and fruity. Wearing a pair of sunglasses on his bronzed face, the singer enjoyed the warm, salty breeze under the tiki umbrella, and he searched the waves for his husband. So far, they'd been at this tropical resort for a week and they still had another full week to enjoy it before returning home and finishing getting their lives in order.

Just when Eren was about to get up and try wading out there to find Levi, he saw the agent's dark head emerge from beneath the waves. Eren relaxed and he sipped his drink, watching over the top rim of his shades as Levi swam to the shore and began to wade out of the ocean.

"Mmm, damn I did good for myself," muttered Eren softly between sips. His mother thought the same thing, much as it embarrassed Levi to hear her bluntly declare it. The agent's toned body sparkled with saltwater as he exited the surf to the beach. Levi wore a pair of deep blue swimming briefs with black stripes on the sides. He shook his raven hair out and combed his fingers through it as he made his way up to his and Eren's relaxation spot, scattering droplets everywhere.

Eren sighed with admiration, his gaze roving over his hubby's physique. Sometimes it all felt like a dream to him. He was married to the love of his life; and not just _this_ life, but a previous one as well. His attraction, respect and desire for Levi hadn't diminished a bit since the first time they met, back in a time and place much more dismal and dark than this one. Eren still called Levi "Captain" at times, and it was a habit he didn't think he could ever break.

"Hey gorgeous," called Eren as Levi closed the distance and reached for the beach towel slung over his lounger. "I ordered you another cocktail while you were out there swimming. Sit and hang with me for a while."

Levi dried some of the salt water off of his body, and then he took up his shades from the table and put them on. "Think I'll do that. I've got some water in my ears." He tilted his head and bobbed to the side a little to expel it, and then, still sitting upright, he reached for his fresh cocktail. He had a sip, and he coughed. Levi lifted his sunglasses a little to peer suspiciously into the blue liquid.

"How many extra shots did you have them put into this, Jaeger?"

"Just a couple." Eren shrugged. "I got an extra one in mine, too."

Levi smirked at him. "Trying to get me drunk, are you?"

"Maybe just a little." Eren grinned and winked. "Not that I think it'll work. You're hard to get drunk."

"True." Levi shrugged and had another, smaller sip.

"You're getting a tan," observed Eren, looking the smaller man up and down. It wasn't that obvious to anyone that didn't know Levi, but Eren could definitely tell. It was a nice, subtle sheen of pink-bronze, perhaps half a tone darker than his usual fair coloring.

Levi glanced down at his arms with mild surprise. "I hadn't noticed."

Eren smirked. "Our beach activities today must have given you enough sun to bring it out. I'll bet you've got a cute tan line going on underneath those briefs."

He impulsively reached out, feeling emboldened since they were newlyweds on their honeymoon.

"Oi, cut that out," Levi muttered, shooing Eren's hand away when the singer hooked a finger into the waist of his swimwear and tugged it out a little for a peek.

"Hey!" Eren gasped, his eyes widening with a new realization. "Levi, you shaved down there!"

Now the agent's face was as pink as his shoulders. "Why don't you grab yourself a bullhorn and announce it to everyone on the beach," he hissed. "Yes, I shaved…this morning, in fact, while you were getting breakfast for us. I figured I should give it a try since we're on our honeymoon and it's a fad right now."

Eren tugged on the smaller man's briefs again with wide eyes, losing all sense of self-preservation in his amazement. "Wow, that's a nice manscaping job you did. Did you use wax too, to get it so sm—"

"If you say 'small', I'm going to punch you in the dick," warned Levi with narrowed eyes, tugging his shades up to rest on his head.

"I was going to say 'smooth'," assured Eren with a blush of his own. He stopped trying to look at it, and he bit his lip. "I like it. It's perfect, baby."

Levi looked away, and he dropped his shades over his eyes again. "Told you not to call me that."

Eren smiled, and he leaned over the distance as he reached for the sunscreen. "I try not to, but it slips out." He didn't bother telling Levi that he knew for a fact the man secretly loved the pet name. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I was just surprised. Here, you're getting some sunburn, so let me rub a little more lotion on you, okay?"

Levi mumbled something with a shrug, and he turned in his seat and hunched over for Eren to do his "duty". He bowed his head as the taller man squirted some sunblock into his palms, got up to crouch behind him and began to massage it gently into his skin. Levi's shades started slipping off, and Eren smiled against his ear. "I appreciate you trying to be all smooth and sexy for me, Levi. You already do that without effort, but it's pretty cute that you—"

"Enough about the manscaping," grumbled Levi.

Eren chuckled softly, and he kept kneading his hubby's shoulders until they relaxed under his attentive care. "All right. I won't talk about it again."

He silently though it was pretty damned hot, though. He loved the captain's fair complexion, but the tan combined with his intimate grooming of himself for Eren made the singer's heart skip a beat. He cupped Levi's jaw with one hand—still massaging the lotion into his skin with the other—and he directed his spouse to turn his head. Levi complied, and Eren caught his mouth in a kiss.

A second later, the singer blurted a laugh. Two bikini-clad girls happened to be passing by; a redhead and a brunet. Upon seeing the two men kiss, the redhead tripped and fell flat on her face in the sand.

"What's so fucking funny?" gasped Levi, obviously annoyed over having their kiss so rudely interrupted.

Eren silently nodded toward the waves, and Levi looked to see the brunet girl helping her blushing companion back to her feet. "Sorry, but that was funny."

"More of your fangirls?" Levi sighed. "I thought this beach was supposed to be 'gay friendly'."

"It is." Eren smiled and waved at the two blushing girls as they giggled and hurried along. "They aren't stoning us to death, are they?"

"No, but they aren't coming up to get your autograph," Levi noticed with a puzzled tilt of his head.

"Maybe they don't recognize me." Eren shrugged. "Not everyone listens to my band, gorgeous. It could be that they just saw a pair of hot guys kissing and tripped themselves. I don't know if you've noticed, but there aren't a lot of male gay couples here."

"I…don't think they're a couple," Levi said softly, watching as the two women continued along, whispering to each other. The redhead pumped a fist in the air and said something they couldn't quite hear. "That one reminds me of Hange."

"Maybe not." Eren shrugged again. "It's a 'gay friendly' resort, not a 'gays only' resort. Speaking of Hange, that's why she recommended this place, right?"

"Tch….Hange probably has a hidden camera somewhere watching our every move." Levi relaxed in his lounger and he took up his drink. "Wouldn't surprise me."

Eren chuckled. "You love her. Admit it." He mimicked his spouse and he took a deep swallow of his cocktail.

Levi just shrugged, grumbling into his glass.

"Hey, you've got a little sunburn on your nose, too," observed Eren. He squeezed a tiny drop of sun block onto his fingers, and he reached out to smear it over Levi's nose without warning. "Boop."

Levi recoiled, flushing indignantly and looking totally adorable. His glare was spoiled by the white smear on his cute little nose. "What the fuck? Did you just say 'boop'?"

Eren started to laugh, too happy and buzzed to be intimidated by his husband's scary look. "Yeah...couldn't help it. You look so cute."

"No more cocktails for you," informed Levi sternly.

* * *

The next day, Levi went surfing.

 _~God, he's too fucking hot for his own good,~_ Eren thought, watching as Levi jogged into the waves with his surfboard. The agent was wearing a wetsuit for the activity and it molded to his tight little frame like a second skin.

Eren watched his spouse's tight ass as Levi began to wade and position his surfboard. He would have loved to join him, but the second day of their honeymoon proved that Eren was about as graceful riding the waves as a seagull scrambling for food. His board had _flown_ out from beneath him as soon as he tried mounting it, and then it came back down right on his head. Levi had to drag the singer back to shore in a lifeguard hold and take him to the emergency clinic at their resort to get treated for the head injury. It had healed up quickly, but Eren vowed never to try surfing again, after that. Swimming? Sure. Volleyball? Okay. Big _no_ to the surfing, though.

His husband was a natural athlete, though. What Levi lacked in social skills, he more than made up for in physical prowess. Eren started to flush as he thought of how Levi had demonstrated that fact to him just last night. Damn, he was a good lay. Eren wasn't big on taking the "bottom" role in sex, but Levi was the first guy he'd ever been with that made him scream and squirm every time they switched. Most of the time their preference as a couple was for Eren to top, but each time they exchanged roles, Eren was reminded that the man could rock his world either way.

He wanted to have sex with him again. Eren's groin stirred in his swimming briefs as he watched Levi deftly mount his surfboard on his stomach and start paddling out to the waves. When Levi caught one and climbed to his feet to ride it, Eren's breath caught. It was nearly as hot to him as watching Levi use his maneuver gear. It was like athletic porn.

"Oh crap," Eren muttered, checking under his nose to be sure it wasn't bleeding.

He considered the "roleplay outfit" he'd packed along with the shoebox of props Hange had kindly given him, and he took a deep breath. Levi had manscaped for him. He could return the favor by playing out a fantasy the captain had confessed to him some time ago, when the world was going crazy around them. He had everything he needed for it…almost. There were a few extra things that he could think of that might make the moment even more special.

Eren got off his lounger with a grunt, quickly wrapping his beach robe around him to hide his condition. He needed to get changed and go shopping while his hubby was occupied.

* * *

Levi came out of the bathroom, towel-drying his hair. He stopped in his tracks and he paused in his actions, peering out from beneath the smaller towel he was using on his hair. Candles. There were candles lit everywhere. Not an obnoxious number of them; they had been strategically placed on the dresser, on the bedside tables, on the desk and on the little dining table of their suite. Some were white and some were dark blue. In various shapes and sizes, all of the burning candles were in black holders or on black trays, and they were arranged evenly so that the white ones were always between the blue ones. The candles on the little breakfast table on the balcony were the floating kind, drifting and bobbing in a black bowl of water, two of each color.

Levi pulled the towel off of his head and he draped it around his bare shoulders. "Eren?" He looked around the bedroom, wondering if Eren was inside of it or out of sight on the balcony. Eren had hollered out to him while he was out surfing, telling him he was going to go and pick up some things, and that he'd meet back up with him later in their suite. Levi hadn't been expecting to come out and find _this_ , though.

The singer emerged from behind the archway leading into the little kitchen area of the honeymoon suite. He was wearing a set of forest green nurse scrubs, and for a moment, Levi was utterly confused. Eren smiled at him as he approached, and he made an encompassing gesture at the flickering candles in the main room.

"Do you like it? I picked colors that represent Survey Corps. It wasn't easy to match up my scrubs to the right forest green color of our cloaks."

Levi glanced around again. "You set all of this up while I was in the bath?"

Eren shrugged and grinned. "Why did you think I suggested adding some salts and treating yourself to a long soak? It was a little rushed, but I finished and got changed just in time."

"Uh-huh." Levi had to admit he was impressed. He was still a bit confused over the nurse getup, though. "Where'd you get all of this and when?"

"Just today, while you were out surfing."

Levi raised a brow. "So that song and dance about being too tired to join me was just a ruse?"

Eren lowered his gaze sheepishly and nodded. "I wanted to do something special, so I needed you to be occupied so I could go to the gift shop and pick up some things."

"They had scrubs in the gift shop?"

Eren laughed and shook his head. "No. These I picked up right before we got married. I've been planning this for a while now, and I thought our honeymoon would be the perfect time to do it."

Levi took the towel off from around his shoulders, and he stepped back into the bathroom to hang it up to dry. He left on the towel around his waist and he rejoined his spouse in the bedroom. Eren had crossed the room closer to him, and as the singer stepped up before him, Levi folded his arms across his chest with a little smirk. He looked Eren up and down appreciatively. The guy pulled off that color green well.

"Is this in reference to the time I was out of commission and you were nursing me?"

"Uh-huh." Eren smiled and winked. "You said you'd like having your own 'nurse Eren', remember?"

"So I did." Levi smiled the tiniest bit, amused and intrigued in spite of himself. "So you wanna play doctor with me, is that it?"

"That's right." Eren put his hands on Levi's waist, and he gave him a soft, brief kiss on the lips. "We've got the safe word, if the roleplaying gets too weird for you. What do you think?"

"Sure." Levi relaxed his arms, and he put them around Eren's neck. "We've already done some pretty weird, kinky shit. This sounds safe enough."

"Great!" Enthused Eren. "Well sir, I'll be your nurse for the day. Nurse Ackerman. The doctor will be with you soon."

Levi's expression went blank. "Please tell me the doc isn't Hange."

"Leviii!" Eren practically whined. "Don't spoil it! You know it's just going to be us."

"Heh…sorry brat." Levi tried to quell his natural sarcasm. He'd played roles before, after all. That was part of being undercover, when the job called for it. "So, what are we doing today, Nurse Ackerman?"

Eren settled down, and he nodded at the king-sized canopy bed. "I'll need you to get undressed, Mr. Jaeger. We'll start by checking your heart and lungs. Have a seat."

Levi started loosening the towel around his waist. "I need to be naked for that, huh?"

Those expressive green eyes of his husband's watched closely as Levi slowly opened the towel to expose himself, letting it drop to the polished wood floor. It took Eren a second to speak, and he swallowed before answering the question. "Well, you're getting a complete physical today, sir. Head to toe."

Levi smirked over his shoulder at the singer as he turned and walked nude to the bed. "It's a good thing I'm not shy."

He hopped up on the bed, and his groin was already beginning to stir. He'd actually forgotten mentioning the "nurse" scenario to Eren. While it wasn't a fantasy he was known to indulge in, the thought of the tanned, sexy rock star playing the part with him was exciting. He noticed that Eren even had a stethoscope hanging around his neck. It looked like he had a cased thermometer in the breast pocket of his shirt, too.

Eren stepped up to the bed, his vivid eyes caressing Levi's form in a manner that certainly wouldn't have been professional, had he been a real nurse. "Oh, one moment, Mr. Jaeger," Eren suddenly said, reaching into the back pocket of his pants. He produced his mobile phone and he brought it to his ear, though it hadn't actually rung. Eren pretended to speak into it. "Sure, doc. I can do that. I'll take good care of the patient."

Levi tilted his head curiously as Eren set the phone on the bedside table. He met Levi's eyes and he shrugged helplessly. "That was the doctor calling to let me know he's too overbooked to finish your exam himself. Since I'm fully trained for it, he's asked me to do the complete examination for him. Would that be all right with you, sir?"

 _~Clever,~_ thought Levi. He kept a straight face as he nodded. "Sure, why not? I can think of worse things than having some hot young guy's hands all over me."

Eren bit his lips in an obvious struggle not to laugh. "M-Mr. Jaeger, that's not really appropriate."

Levi shrugged, relaxing into the moment. This was actually kind of fun. "What can I say? I'm not in an appropriate mood today, Nurse Ackerman. Tell me what you want me to do next."

* * *

It was the final day of their honeymoon. Tomorrow they would catch their flight back home to Tarsus Valley, and they would begin their new lives together in a new home. Eren was excited about that, but he was also sorry that their vacation was coming to an end. He would go back to music and Levi would go back to his agency work. Eren grimaced at the thought. Work was going to take a pretty big chunk out of his and Levi's personal time together, he realized. Not only would he and his band be busy making new music, recording and making videos, but there were talk shows and magazine interviews to think about. Plus, they'd eventually need to go on tour again; possibly even an international one. He couldn't expect Levi to take a hiatus from his work to tour with them, despite his previous suggestion that the man double as his bodyguard and groupie.

"I'm going to miss this," Eren said aloud, staring at the red, orange and yellow glow of the sunset over the ocean horizon.

Beside him in the other beach lounger, Levi raised his sunglasses and propped them on his head. "Yeah. Me too."

Eren turned his head to look at him, admiring the captain's profile. "Hey, Levi?"

"Yeah?" Levi turned his sable head lazily to regard him, relaxed and unhurried.

"We should start a family."

The smaller man was just reaching for his frozen cocktail, and he paused to raise a dark brow. "Are you high or something, Eren? We're both men. We can't make brats together. Are you talking adoption here, or what?"

Eren chuckled, and he shook his head. "No, not adoption. I mean pets. Our careers are too complicated for kids, but a dog might be okay, right? Why not get a puppy when we get home?"

Levi tilted his head. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am." Eren shrugged. "Why not?"

Levi frowned. "I didn't exactly say 'no'. Just take into consideration our work schedules and the amount of attention and responsibility we're talking, here."

"I could take the little guy with me to band practice and the studio," suggested Eren.

"You don't think all that noise would deafen or traumatize a puppy?" Levi raised a brow.

Eren gave him a hurt look over having his music referred to as "noise."

"Oh, don't look at me like that," muttered Levi. "Shit, you know what I meant, Eren. I actually like your music, and it's not even my genre of choice."

Pacified by the complement, Eren smiled a little. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Since when have I ever lied to you, brat?" Levi leaned over and reached out to ruffle his hair. "But I already _have_ a puppy. I'm looking at him right now."

Eren laughed. "You're exaggerating."

"Bullshit. You should see yourself in the mirror when you give me those puppy eyes or get excited. I'm surprised your fucking tongue doesn't loll out of your mouth and you don't start panting."

Eren blushed. Levi had always compared him to a puppy. Hange as well, in fact. The woman even had him listed as "Puppy" under her contact list, for crying out loud. "So you don't think you'd ever want any pets?"

Levi sighed. "Honestly, if I were ever going to have a pet of the fur-bearing variety, I always thought it would be a cat. If you really want a dog, though, we can get one after we've got our new place furnished and we're fully settled in. I've got conditions, though."

"Sure! Name them!" Eren perked up with excitement.

"I don't want to get stuck with all the care-giving," explained Levi. "You can't just play with the thing and leave all the hard shit for me. You help train it, house-break it, bathe it, feed it, take it to the vet, the works. I'm willing to do my part, but we'll be revisiting your day at court when we first met if you flake out on me. Understood?"

Eren winced, still vividly recalling what it felt like for Levi to make his point to the jury with the heel of his boot to Eren's ribs, stomach and face—multiple times. "Understood, sir."

"Heh. You still fall back on old habits, even though we're married now."

Eren offered the raven-haired man a sheepish grin and a shrug. "I was just thinking of that, honestly. You'll always be my captain, regardless of our relationship."

Levi sipped his drink and relaxed against the lounger with a nod. "Good. Then I know you'll take me seriously about this."

Eren nodded. "I take you seriously about everything you say, lover. I'm not a total idiot."

"Not all the time," teased Levi with a glint in his eye.

The agent's quiet, crooked little smile made Eren's pulse quicken. The sun had sunk below the horizon, and it was starting to get dark. Eren stood up, stretched, and grabbed his drink. He offered his free hand to his husband. "Moonlight stroll on the beach? It's our last chance."

Levi didn't hesitate. "Sure."

* * *

-To be continued


	45. Chapter 45

These were the salad days for Eren and Levi. With the band releasing a new album, a tour date release and Levi taking over a department at the Tarsus Valley branch of the UFI, they were doing quite well for themselves. They stayed in their honeymoon phase for the first four months after their wedding, and then they settled into a more mellow, comfortable routine. They tried to keep the habit of having dinner with Madeline one night each weekend, either over at her place, at theirs or out to eat. Sometimes Erwin joined them, and while Eren was surprisingly untroubled by the growing amount of time his mother spent with the man, Levi still had expressed misgivings. One night weeknight when they were about to sit down to dinner together after a day's work and rehearsal, Levi brought the subject up.

"They're going away together for a weekend. You don't think that's just the slightest bit troubling?"

Eren shook his head and sprinkled a bit of pepper on his greens. "No. I know why it bothers you, but you know what? The commander treats her well. He hasn't tried to pressure her into sleeping with him, he shows her a good time when they go out on a date and he makes good money. Sure, it felt weird at first, but if I look at it objectively, I probably couldn't ask for a better guy for her. Mom needs company besides her cats and us. Erwin's earned his right to be happy, too."

"Tch. So what if they end up getting married? Erwin will be your father-in-law. Ever stop to think of that?" Levi shuddered, and he sipped his tea. "Mine too. I find that pretty fucking disturbing for obvious reasons."

Eren thought about it, and he reached across the table to squeeze his husband's free hand. "This is how I see it: you two have never been romantically involved in this life, right?"

Levi shrugged. "Right. So?"

The singer shrugged. "Then it's a fresh slate. Back during the Titan Wars, it was a totally different lifetime with different circumstances. Yeah, some of us remember all of it now and it does have an influence on who we are today and what we do, but there's no point in dwelling on that time. I think...well, don't take this the wrong way. If it weren't for that past life, I might not have you as my hubby now. I just think we should try to put it behind us and live _this_ life now. Armin says torturing ourselves deliberately by clinging to the darkness of some of those old memories isn't good for us, and I think he's right. Does that make sense?"

Levi lowered his gaze in thought. He speared a piece of baked chicken on his fork, lifted it up and examined it quietly. "Not all of those memories were dark."

Eren smiled. "I know, Captain. Listen to me, going on about putting that life behind us, and I'm still calling you 'Captain' all the time and Erwin 'Commander'. Guess I should take my own advice."

Levi sighed. "Well, you're not wrong, really. At least you're not giving yourself an ulcer over this whole 'Mom-Erwin' thing. Encouraging me to let shit go and just live in the present isn't bad advice, Eren. I suppose I'm just being a petty fucking idiot."

"Hey, he was a big, big part of your life back then, and he still is," soothed Eren. "I know it's hard for you sometimes to reconcile what you were to each other then and what you are to each other now." Eren took his hand off of Levi's, and he had a sip of his juice. "If you think you're being an idiot for feeling weird about Mom and Erwin, I've got news for you: I still get jealous, sometimes."

Levi cocked his head. "Yeah?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah. When I think of you two working closely together just like you did back then, sometimes I get this fear that something more is going to grow between you again. Some old spark that hasn't fully died might rekindle. I think of how I took you from him—"

"Oi, oi," Levi interjected with a little frown. "You didn't _'take me'_ from anyone. I went to you and Erwin and I broke things off. You aren't some fucking black knight from a fairy tale and I'm not some poor damsel you snatched from a castle."

Eren chuckled and blushed. "Okay, poor wording from me. But even if you two weren't exactly a monogamous couple, the point is you were loyal to him alone until I made my move on you, right?"

Levi shrugged wordlessly.

"So," Eren went on in a rush, hoping he wasn't about to end up in a quarrel with Levi over this, "sometimes a part of me is scared Erwin's going to make a move on you and I'm going to end up bit in the ass by karma for how that all went down."

Levi stared at him. "Meaning you don't trust me."

"No! No, it isn't you," Eren revised, wincing. "Levi, you're _loyal_ and I know it, but we're going to be separated for a while when I'm out touring. Sometimes this little voice in my head says you might start feeling neglected, just like you did back then when Erwin's duties kept him away in the capital so often. Then I think if that happens, he might forget how supportive he's been of our relationship, remember he's still in love with you and decide to go for it. I know I shouldn't think like that and I'm a hypocrite for telling you not to let the past get to you so much, but..."

Eren sighed and trailed off with a guilty shrug. "I just see the way he still looks at you sometimes, and I can be a jealous guy sometimes when it comes to you, that's all."

"So it's him you don't trust." Levi put his tea down and spread his hands. "Then why the hell are you okay with him dating Mads?"

"Because I know I'm being stupid, and to be honest with you, if he's happy with my mom then I have to worry less about him coming onto you. See? I told you I'm an idiot."

"You are," agreed Levi with a smirk. "You're sitting here fretting over having some jealous instincts when it comes to him, but I'm pretty damned certain you wouldn't be okay with him getting involved with your mom if you thought for a second he would betray or hurt her. You just contradicted yourself, shitty brat."

Eren blinked, and his mouth went slack for a second. "Holy shit, you're right."

"Heh." Levi shook his head, visibly relaxing. "You're better at reasoning out your jealous feelings now than you were back then. I'm glad you said something, though. Gives me the chance to think a little harder on why I'm having a hard time accepting the situation."

"And?" pressed Eren. He had a bite of rice, watching the smaller man with interest.

Levi hesitated, his cute little mouth pulling into another frown. "You won't like it."

"I'm the one that dragged the subject out." Eren braced himself. "Go ahead. Tell me, gorgeous."

Levi met his eyes again. "I think maybe a part of me is jealous, too."

Eren blinked again. "You are? About which part of it? Erwin taking up some of Mom's attention, or...are you jealous to see him getting involved with someone besides you?"

Levi rubbed his forehead as if his own thoughts pained him. "It's confusing. I'm not jealous that he's with someone else. I learned to get over that sort of thing a long time ago, and I've got who I really want."

Eren's tension eased, and he smirked. "That's good to know. So what is it?"

Levi paused again before coming out with it. "I'm jealous of the way he treats her."

The statement, so simply confided, gave Eren a moment of startling clarity. Levi went on in a rush, like he was afraid if he didn't get it all out into the open quickly, something bad would happen.

"The bastard made me miserable half the time, back when we were involved. You know that. Now I see the way he treats Madeline, and let's just say it brings back some old resentment. He's attentive to her, he makes time for her, makes her laugh, doesn't try to use her. He treats her like gold. He treated me like more of a hobby."

Levi shrugged. "Don't misunderstand; you know I'm crazy about her and it would be someone's ass if they ever tried to hurt her. I don't want him to ever treat her the way he treated me. I just started realizing a minute ago that it's not just the weirdness of possibly ending up with my ex lover as my father-in-law someday. It's also resentment I've been keeping boxed up. If I'm honest with myself, sometimes I want to kick Erwin in the gut and ask him why the hell he only gave me that sort of attention when he wanted a screw out of me."

Eren's gaze softened with sympathy on the other man. "He did hurt you bad, Levi. I can see why you'd feel like that. He should have cherished you. I always thought so."

"Tch. Well, you've always been a lot sweeter than that blond titan," Levi muttered.

Eren smiled a little sadly at him. "Levi, are you worried that Erwin might fall back on old habits and start treating Ma the way he used to treat you?"

Levi's eyes flashed silver, narrowing. "He'd better fucking not." He quickly gathered his composure, and he added grudgingly: "I don't think he will, though. He's not the man-whore he used to be. He's changed a lot, and if he wanted to get between you and I or start tomcatting his way around town, he'd have already acted on it by now. You and the cauliflower are right; it's time to hang up the past and live in the now. I've forgiven him already, so I don't need to keep doing this to myself and neither do you."

"I agree," whispered Eren. He scooted his dining chair back, and he patted his lap invitingly. "Come here."

Levi didn't immediately move. "Can't the lap dance wait for after dinner?"

Eren huffed a soft laugh. "I don't want a lap dance. I just want to snuggle a little. I think we could both use it, don't you?"

Evidently convinced, Levi got out of his chair and he circled around the table. He straddled Eren's lap comfortably, and he accepted a loving kiss from the singer. "Food's gonna get cold," he warned softly, but he made no move to cut the cuddle session short.

"We can warm it up," reasoned Eren. He kissed Levi's chin and he put his arms around him. "I don't know about you, but I feel better after venting...and not getting into a big argument over it."

"Mmm, not like that fight we had a couple weeks ago," agreed Levi.

Eren couldn't even recall what it had been about at first, but then he remembered threatening to push Levi into the pool after the man made some crass, jealous comment about groupies. He knew Levi didn't really believe he'd take advantage of any amorous fans while he was out on tour, but it had been hurtful enough even as an off-hand remark to make him say things he didn't mean. That had been their first big argument as a married couple, and now that he thought of it, he'd reacted much worse than Levi in the face of a jealous admittance.

"I'm still sorry for that," murmured Eren. "I should have just blown it off instead of taking it like an accusation."

"It's over," advised Levi. "The makeup sex was great too, so I'm good."

Eren kissed him again. "Are you still okay with feeding Mom's cats when she leaves town for that weekend outing?"

"Yeah. Shit, I forgot you'll be on tour then, too."

Eren frowned. He and Levi were both used to having each others' company at night, whenever work didn't require one of them to be out late. They'd also gotten used to their weekend dinners with Madeline. An idea came to him then, out of the blue.

"Hey, you said Isabel and Farlan are getting released next week, right?"

"Yeah. They'll be on probation for a little while, but since they didn't actively participate in the attacks and testified against SC, the courts have no reason to keep them locked up."

"They're going to need a place to stay for a while, then, won't they?" Eren pulled back to look up at the smaller man. "Why don't you invite them to come stay with us until they get back on their feet? That way, you'll have some company at home while I'm out touring."

Levi cocked his head. "You'd be okay with that?"

"Yeah." Eren shrugged. "They used to live with you, so I know they aren't going to wreck the place. They were basically your family, once. Why shouldn't they be welcome here?"

Levi stroked his thumb over Eren's lips. "Then I'll extend that invitation and make arrangements to get them here when they're released. I appreciate you thinking of them."

"Not just them," Eren explained. "I was thinking of you, too. I don't want you to feel lonely while I'm gone."

"I'm not fragile," Levi protested. "I could handle coming home to an empty house for a couple of months."

"Yeah, but if you don't have to, why should you?" Eren smiled and he rubbed the smaller man's back. "And these are your old friends, so I know they wouldn't annoy you too much or be bad houseguests. You said Isabel loves animals, so she might like going with you to take care of the cats on the weekend." Eren snapped his fingers, reminded of something. "Oh right! We're all settled in and back on track now. Speaking of pets, you said we could talk about getting a puppy, remember?"

"Yeah," grunted Levi. "I was hoping you'd forget about that."

"Nope. I was thinking maybe we could get two, actually. That way it's not an only child."

Levi's brow went up. " _'Only child'_?" he repeated. "Eren, I think you're getting a bit too invested in this idea of pets being 'fur babies'. You're starting to sound like Madeline."

"Hey, pets should be part of the family," argued the singer. "Your friend Isabel would probably say so too, from what you've told me about her."

Levi sighed. "All right. When you come back from your tour, we'll start shopping around for a pair of dogs. If we can't find any from a rescue that will work out, we'll check out some breeders. Isabel can help me with that. She'd know what to look for."

Eren grinned hugely at his victory. "Maybe we can get a cat someday, too. I know you like kitties, even though you try to be gruff about it."

"You're gonna turn out place into a petting zoo, aren't you?" Levi accused.

Eren shifted the smaller man's weight on his lap a little, and he kissed his throat. "I promise, the two dogs and maybe a cat will be it. I remember what you said and I'll do my part taking care of them, okay?"

"All right," Levi said in final defeat. "No little yippy mutts, though. I want something I can train to protect our home and my clumsy-ass husband."

Eren laughed sheepishly, accepting the compromise. "Okay. You've got a deal."

* * *

As planned, Levi made arrangements for Farlan and Isabel to come and stay at their home. They didn't have much at all in the way of belongings to bring with them, because their apartment got demolished during the titan drop operation, and they'd lost just about everything. Fortunately, their bank accounts got unfrozen upon their release from holding, and they were able to at least replace some of their wardrobe upon arriving in Tarsus Valley. They also bought some groceries, insisting on stocking the pantry and helping out with meals while staying there.

"Levi, have a taste," Isabel called to her friend after stirring the pot of stew she was making one evening. She prudently used a clean spoon from the drawer to scoop up a sample for him to try out.

Levi paused in tossing the salad, and he went over to accept the mouthful. He chewed slowly, examining the flavor before swallowing. "Maybe a little more marjoram," he suggested.

She nodded, and she grabbed up the jar of spice to add another pinch from it. "Is Farlan still out there tenderizing himself in your hot tub?"

Levi leaned back a little bit to look out at the back sliding door. "Yeah."

"Well, he should be in here doing something," she insisted.

"He fixed the gas gauge on my bike earlier," reminded Levi. "I think we can cut him a little slack tonight."

"Hmph, I guess that's fair." Isabel stirred the pot again, and she replaced the lid on it. Removing her apron, she regarded the agent thoughtfully. "So how long will your rock star be out of town, big bro?"

"About two months. He ought to be back by his birthday."

"Hmm." Isabel tightened her ponytail, and then she checked on the bread baking in the oven. "Sure is a nice place you guys have here. I have to admit I expected some kind of mansion, since Eren's a famous singer."

"We don't need something that huge, and I'd feel out of place living in it."

Isabel grinned over her shoulder at him as Levi started looking through the wine and beverage cooler for something appropriate to serve with the meal. "Yeah, I can't picture you living in some posh castle in the hills. Eren must be a pretty down to earth guy, 'cause I'm sure he could afford it."

"You never met him in the previous life." Levi selected a sweet chardonnay, and he got out some glasses. "He lived a humble life growing up in Shiganshina. It was better than the puke hole we grew up in Underground, but he's not really a 'lap of luxury' guy himself. He's happy having a pool and a hot tub and a big screen television."

"And dogs," reminded Isabel. "Don't forget the dogs."

"I won't," muttered Levi gruffly. "I promised the brat, after all."

Isabel got the bread out and set it on the counter to cool. "Well, you've done really well for yourself. I'm glad you finally got to live in a big, nice house. Thanks for taking us in again, Levi."

The agent shrugged. "I know you guys are good for it. You aren't a pair of slackers."

Isabel lowered her gaze with a frown.

"What?" demanded Levi. "That was a compliment."

"I know. It's just...well, I thought at least _one_ of us would have found work by now. This is a big metropolis, and both Farlan and me have a pretty broad skill set. We keep getting turned down, and I think it's because people find out we used to work for Satellite Core. Nobody wants to hire someone that used to work for them, and I can't really blame them."

Levi considered her words, and he watched her thoughtfully. "Maybe you're looking in the wrong places. I don't know how you'd feel about working for another government agency after what happened, but I could put a word in with the UFI. I could try to get you in with my department."

"So we'd be working with you again?" Isabel brightened at the prospect. "But they've got some super classified stuff going on there. I'm not so sure they'd trust us anymore than other people have."

"You've both already been proven innocent of involvement with any acts of war they committed," Levi pointed out. "I'm not saying you'll be able to jump right in; you'll need to go through extensive background checks, training, and evaluation. It's not a guaranteed immediate hire, but I'll vouch for you, and I'm sure Erwin would too."

"That's right, you still work with that guy! I almost forgot. That would be really cool if you could get us on, big bro."

"I'll make a few calls after dinner," promised Levi.

* * *

While Levi was helping his friends acclimate to their new location and find work, Eren was out touring with his band. After five big concerts in two states, he was feeling back in his element again. The only problem was that he missed Levi terribly. Every time he sang a ballad, he thought of his husband and he wondered if Levi was tuning in to any of the media channels to watch the performances. Levi wasn't a big television guy, but Eren liked to think that he would at least try to catch a few glimpses during their time apart.

"Quit being so mopey," Connie advised him after one show when he climbed into the tour bus and found Eren sighing on the couch. "You've only been away from the captain for two weeks. Just six more weeks to go, and we'll be back on our way home."

"Easy for you to say." Eren took the beer offered to him by his drummer, and he sipped at it. "You've got Sasha riding with you on this tour, and Mikasa and Jean have each other."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, Armin's got nobody." Connie shrugged and sat don next to him, nursing his on beer. "So at least you've got someone waiting at home for you."

The observation certainly put things into a little perspective. Their band manager was always too busy to date. Armin did have his family to return home to, but no lover and he never indulged in seeking out romantic company on the road.

"Guess I should stop complaining," Eren muttered into his bottle. His cell went off, and he quickly grabbed it out of his pocket, brightening with a hopeful possibility. He smiled when he saw the name on the ID, and he answered immediately. "Hey gorgeous! I was just thinking about you."

"You finished with your latest show?" Levi asked on the other line.

"Yeah, we're loading up to head to the next town now."

"Good. I wasn't completely sure I was timing the call right, with the time zone difference. I caught one of your last gigs on the entertainment news channel last night. It sounded good."

Eren relaxed against the sofa. "Yeah? So you've been keeping up with the tour?"

"When I can," agreed Levi. "No rabid fan attacks, I hope?"

"No." Eren smiled. "It's been a pretty smooth trip so far. How are things at home?"

"Not bad. I'm trying to get Farlan and Isabel in with the UFI. Right now, there's a lot of paperwork to be done and some investigating in their records to take care of before they're approved to get in the door. I'm not too worried about that. Are you still making it home for your birthday?"

"I made sure to schedule the tour so that I could," Eren reassured. "I'll be home, Levi. I want to celebrate with you."

"Let's just try to keep the media out of it," suggested the agent. "Yesterday there were news choppers circling around our neighborhood. Next thing I knew, Farlan was yelling from the living room that our house was on television. Looks like they were covering news about your band and they wanted to put up pictures of where you live. I'm not comfortable with that shit."

Eren grimaced. "Just try not to let it get to you, Levi. That's part of being a celebrity, unfortunately. We're going to get that sort of thing sometimes."

"Then maybe we should discreetly book a suite or something for your birthday when you get back," suggested Levi. "I'd rather have a little privacy. I think I might make some security changes around here, too. I'm looking into having a cover built over the pool to keep the pests out."

Understanding that by "pests" he as much meant media as insects and lizards, Eren smiled. "Whatever makes you comfortable. How were Mom's cats when you took care of them?"

"Fine. Lucifer caught a lizard and brought it inside the house to kill it. Disgusting. I had to clean that up. Charmy's her usual attention-whoring self and Butler likes me to leave the TV on at night so he can watch it. We had dinner with Mom and Erwin when they got back too, so she got better acquainted with Isabel and Farlan."

"Cool." Eren sighed, thinking of those little family dinner dates. "Damn, I miss you."

There was a pause, and then Levi's voice spoke solemnly. "Miss you too, brat."

Everyone had made it back onto the tour bus, and the engine started up. "Looks like we're about to be on the move again," noted Eren. "Hey Levi, do you want me to sing you to sleep like I did the other night?"

"Er...sure. Just give me a minute to put my cup in the washer and get into bed."

A smile lit up Eren's eyes as he listened to the background sounds his husband was making and waited for Levi to give him the green light. As someone that tended to suffer insomnia, Levi sometimes only slept for three hours a night. He always slept better next to Eren, but the singer had found he could lull him to sleep over the phone by singing to him, sometimes.

"Okay Eren, I'm in bed now."

Eren felt a little mischievous. "What are you wearing?"

"Just the covers. Are you gonna sing or what?"

"Sorry. I was just picturing what's under those covers."

Eren hadn't really expected the captain to sleep nude while they had house guests, but he was sure he locked the bedroom door and made sure the blinds were drawn. He started to sing one of his ballads that Levi seemed to really like—one of the songs that always made Eren think of him when he performed it. By the second chorus Eren paused, listening. He could tell by the tenor of his spouse's breathing that Levi was dozing off.

"Goodnight, Levi," Eren said tenderly. "I love you. Sweet dreams."

"Mmm, night Eren."

* * *

Unbeknownst to Eren, Levi came back wide awake after they hung up. The agent sighed, and he turned over in the bed to pick his phone up again. He flipped through his media on it until he saw "Remember the Titans" in the artist list, and he popped the phone into the clock radio/media player on his nightstand. He put the song list on shuffle, turned the volume up just loud enough to hear the music in the background, and he closed his eyes. By the time "Bones" came on, Levi had drifted off into relatively peaceful slumber.

* * *

During the last leg of the tour, they ran into a few delays. First they traveled into an area that was having heavy thunderstorms and was under tornado watch. They were about seven hours away from their concert destination, but the weather was so severe that Armin decided to pull off to a hotel for the night and let the coliseum and radio stations know that the concert would have to be postponed for the next day. They could still make their schedule, but it was going to be tight. Then there was an incident with a major highway collapsing due to bad tropical conditions, which forced them to re-route. They went through all of that trouble to reach their next destination, and the concert ended up getting cancelled because the last band that played there had a major malfunction with pryo effects and nearly burned the place down.

"We can still make our final concert on the tour," Armin advised the band after getting the news. "but now we're four days behind our planned schedule."

"Shit," snapped Eren in frustration. "I'm not going to make it home for my birthday, then. It's going to fall on the night that we do the makeup concert of the last one."

Armin grimaced, looking down at his data pad and checking. "It looks that way. I'm sorry, Eren. I did try to work the schedule so that wouldn't happen, but I don't think any of us were anticipating so many obstacles. I expected us to fall a day or two behind, but I underestimated how many delays we could expect."

"Maybe Eren could just take a redeye flight home right after the concert," Jean suggested. "That'd probably get him home before midnight on his birthday."

"That may be the best option," agreed Mikasa.

Eren pinched his lips. "Okay, let me call up Levi and let him know the plan."

He got up and he went to the back of the tour bus where the sleeping area was. He called up his husband, and he braced himself. Levi was probably at work at this time of day. He hoped he wasn't interrupting anything important.

"Agent Ackerman," came the answer after a few rings.

"Levi, I've got some bad news," Eren said in a rush.

"You okay, or what?" Levi's voice took on a tense, protective tone.

"We're all fine, but we've run into a hell of a lot of obstacles on this tour."

Eren went on to explain the situation with him. "So it looks like unless we cancel this last concert, the only way I'm making it home in time for my birthday is if I take the first flight out to TV I can get," finished the singer. "I could maybe make it home before midnight, if I do that."

Levi sighed. "No. Don't cancel the concert. You guys have just made your comeback, and if you cancel it's going to lose you some fans. You need to show them you're still dedicated to putting on the show they paid for, even if you've got to do it late."

Eren wasn't really surprised to hear his husband advocating integrity and loyalty, and he smiled with pride. "But the flight out after the concert? I could do that."

"Don't do that, either. I don't trust last minute redeye flights from commercial airlines. There's been too many problems with them. We'll just deal with celebrating your birthday late, okay? It's not your fault."

"But, I promised you."

"I know you did, brat. Some things are beyond your control, though. We'll get to talk on your birthday, and we'll have a celebration when you get back. Just do your job, do it well and get back home safe."

Eren sighed. "Yeah, okay. I just really wanted to spend my birthday with you."

Perhaps he was just imagining it, but Eren thought he detected a hint of amusement in Levi's voice. "I know you did. We can make up for it later. You should get some sleep, kiddo."

Eren smiled. "I have a hugging pillow," he confessed shyly. "I pretend it's you."

"I don't think I'm that soft," observed Levi dryly, "but if it helps you get to sleep at night, hug the shit out of that pillow."

Eren laughed softly. "It does. I'll give you a call when we make it to our destination, okay?"

"That's fine. Just watch out for the weirdos. You might not have the BRS after you anymore, but I don't trust some of your crazed fans."

Eren caressed the phone absently, wishing it was his husband's face. "I'll be careful. I love you, Captain. Miss you."

"Back at you," stated Levi gruffly. "Goodnight, brat."

* * *

The concert was a blinding success. The crowd even demanded an encore, which Eren and his band were more than happy to provide for them. As much as he loved performing for his fans, his mind had been almost completely on home and the man waiting for him there. Eren honestly didn't know how he was going to make it through the rest of his birthday without breaking down like a child. He just missed Levi so damned much. It was true, what they said about absence making the heart grow fonder. He was so eager to finish the tour, get home and make love to Levi until the captain was unable to walk.

As Eren went backstage to get something to drink and wind down from the performance, he was interrupted by Reiner. "Hey Jaeger, you've got a groupie waiting for you back-stage."

Eren gave the stout blond a puzzled, uncomfortable look. "Uh, I told you I don't mess around with groupies. I'm married now, remember?"

Reiner smirked. "I think you might make an exception for this one." He nodded at the VIP door. "Go on, Eren. I'll make sure nobody disturbs you."

Annoyed that the roadie would think even for a moment that he would betray the love of his life for some groupie, Eren twisted the knob and grumbled over his shoulder at Reiner. "I'm not going to cheat on my...oh!"

His words halted in mid-sentence and his brain froze. There, reclining like a sleek black cat on the leather couch, was the very man Eren so passionately refused to stray from. He stared at Levi hard, his green eyes surprised and unblinking. The agent was wearing a pair of black leather pants and a muscle shirt with the band logo on it. Levi's elbow was propping him up, and his cheek rested in his hand. He met Eren's eyes, and the tiniest little smirk adorned his pouty lips.

"Happy birthday, you shitty brat."

Eren stood dumbfounded. He didn't even hear Reiner close the door behind him. Finally, he found his tongue. "You...how?"

Levi stretched languidly, and he sat up. He rested his arms over the back of the couch, and he crossed his legs. "I took unpaid time off and caught a flight here. Nice show, by the way. I didn't catch the beginning of it, but I made it in time to see the last set."

Speechless, Eren approached the couch with a look of thankful wonderment on his face. He knelt down before Levi, and he put his hands on the agent's leather-clad knees. "You are the best thing I've seen all day. Shit, I forgot how gorgeous you are in person! The pictures on my phone don't do you justice."

"Flattery," snorted Levi. He reached out to ruffle Eren's brown locks with affection. "You're always so dramatic."

Eren grinned, squeezing Levi's knees gently to assure himself that he was really there. "Best birthday gift ever."

Levi tilted his head. "Well, seeing as I'm here, I may as well travel back home with you, don't you think? I only booked a one-way flight."

"That would be stupendous," agreed Eren happily. "I won't need my hugging pillow, anymore."

"One would hope," murmured Levi. He leaned forward, cupping the back of the singer's head. Eren readily allowed the other man to guide his lips to his, and the moment they made contact, he groaned with passion.

"God, you've got me hard already," whispered Eren between smooches. "I think I might pop the button on these pants."

Levi's hands slid down Eren's chest to the source of his throbbing discomfort, giving his package a little squeeze before busily undoing said pants. "Then let's get them off of you, shall we?"

* * *

Jean ignored Reiner's warning about going into the VIP room. He was thirsty and he knew he'd find cold beer waiting for him in the refrigerator. "Hey, Jaeger doesn't have exclusive rights to our backstage room," he snapped, pushing past the big blond. "Out of my way, dude."

Reiner started to say something, and then he shrugged his broad shoulders and smirked. "It's your funeral."

Unimpressed by the implication that Eren posed any sort of threat to him, the guitarist twisted the doorknob and yanked it open. He immediately regretted his decision. His mouth fell open at the sight of his lead man buck-naked on the couch. The tan-lines on Eren's flexing ass stood out in sharp relief as he humped the hell out of another man spread out beneath him. Jean caught sight of Levi's flushed, impassioned face for a brief moment, and then the raven-haired agent's piercing gaze met his.

"Shit...sorry!"

Jean backed up and slammed the door closed, wishing he had some eye bleach. Reiner was watching him smugly, obviously holding back laughter at the sight of Jean's bright blush.

"I warned you," stated the roadie.

Jean started to sputter a comeback, but then his girlfriend approached from the hallway.

"What's going on?" demanded Mikasa. "Jean, why is your face so red? Are you overheated?"

Still horrified by what he'd inadvertently walked in on, Jean grabbed Mikasa's wrist before she could turn the doorknob. "Don't go in there!"

Mikasa's delicate features tensed with confused annoyance. "Why? I want to get you a cold, wet towel."

Jean shook his head, ignoring the snickers coming from Reiner. "Just trust me, all right? Eren's in there and he's...uh...busy with...someone."

Mikasa's eyes widened slightly. "I don't believe that. Eren would never be unfaithful to Captain Levi."

Behind her, Reiner coughed into his hand, face reddening with amusement. Jean shot him an annoyed look before explaining the situation further to his girlfriend. "He's not being unfaithful. Levi's who he's with."

Mikasa's brows forked. "He came here? When?"

"He showed up as a surprise to Eren," obliged Reiner, cooling his mirth. "I tried to tell your man not to go in there, but..." he trailed off and snickered.

"All right, already," grumbled Jean. "I got a peep show I didn't want to see, okay? It's not like I knew what was going on in there!"

"I tried to tell you, bro," countered Reiner with a smirk. "You've only got yourself to blame."

"Well, they should have locked it," insisted Jean. "Who the hell gets busy like that without flipping the lock, anyhow?"

Mikasa cleared her throat, pressing two fingers against her lips to control her smile. "A couple too excited to see each other to think about it, maybe? Reiner was obviously trying to guard the door, Jean. You're just too stubborn to listen when people warn you about something."

"All right, team up on me," complained the guitarist. "Damn, I need a drink after seeing that shit."

Mikasa took him by the arm. "Then let's go on the tour bus and take care of that. I'm sure the others are already in there."

"Just don't tell them anything," pleaded Jean. "I don't need Connie calling me a pervert."

* * *

"What's wrong?" panted Eren, gazing down at his husband's flushed, sweaty face. The passion in Levi's eyes had muted a bit, all the sudden. It hadn't escaped Eren's notice when the smaller man looked over his shoulder at something, but he'd been far too distracted to hear the door open and close. His own moans of pleasure had drowned out Jean's exclamation, as well.

"Nothing," answered Levi. He met Eren's bright gaze, and he ran his hands over the singer's tense shoulders. He bit his lip on a groan, and he locked his ankles together at the small of Eren's back. "Shit, I'm so close...keep going."

Eren was more than happy to oblige. In fact, he couldn't stop now if he wanted to. His hips thrust faster, harder. He caught Levi's mouth with his own for a deep, sloppy kiss, struggling to hold back his impending orgasm. Levi's toned little body went hard with tension beneath him, and his panting became ragged and more pronounced. Eren's excitement increased as he witnessed the telling expression bleeding into his husband's pale features. He knew Levi's body so well by now, knew exactly when he was about to come. He caught hold of the agent's hands and he shoved them over Levi's head, lifting up to stare at him as he eased him into his climax. He watched as Levi's eyes rolled back and fluttered shut, watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. Levi's body shook in a familiar way as his cock bucked against Eren's lower abs, spilling his seed between the two of them.

"Oh...unh...fuck!" Levi's head lifted off of the couch, and he pressed his heated face against Eren's chest as he rode out his orgasm.

"That's it, gorgeous," encouraged Eren huskily, in love with the sounds his spouse was making, and the damp heat of his breath against his skin. He couldn't last any longer. The feel of Levi's ass clamping down on his sex did Eren in, and he growled as he gave one last, powerful shove and filled Levi to the brim. Now trembling as badly as his companion, Eren bowed his head and closed his eyes, basking in the pleasure of the moment. For him, there was no greater experience than making the man he loved cry out like that. It was like a drug to Eren, and he just couldn't get enough of it.

"Man, I've missed the hell out of you," wheezed the singer, collapsing on top of Levi's prone form. He gave his hands a squeeze before releasing them, and he rested his damp forehead against the smaller man's shoulder. "You're definitely the best sex I've ever had in either life."

"I was the _only_ sex you had in the past life," reminded Levi breathlessly, "unless of course there's something you haven't told me."

Eren chuckled, lifting his head to look his companion in the eye. He shook his head and he sobered completely, his tone earnest and passionate. "No. You were the only one, Levi. Like I could even think of being with someone else after being with you."

"That's good to know." Levi ran his fingers through Eren's mussed brown hair. "I've got to give you props, kid; you can fuck like a beast. Even back when you had no experience, you had a knack for giving it to me just right."

Eren beamed with pleasure at the compliment, even as it made him blush modestly. Captain Levi was not the sort of man to offer praise unless the recipient had performed exceptionally, so Eren had no concerns that his husband was just offering him lip service.

"Pleasing you has always been a top priority for me," whispered Eren. He lowered his mouth to Levi's for a soft kiss, and he spoke against his lips. "That hasn't changed from our past life."

"Then you can rest easy knowing you're doing a damned fine job of it." Levi kissed him back. "When we get home, we can get started on finding a couple of dogs like you want."

Eren's eyes lit up at the prospect. He hadn't even been thinking of getting the puppies he wanted, truth be told. His thoughts had been absorbed in Levi and how much he missed his touch. This was definitely the best birthday he'd ever had.

* * *

As it turned out, Isabel found the perfect match for Levi and Eren once they made it home. She had already been researching breeders and shelters while they were gone, going by what Levi told her he wanted in a canine pet. They ended up buying two puppies from a local, renowned breeder; a Doberman female they named Lena, and a male German shepherd that they named Luka. The puppies were born close together, with Lena being only two weeks older than Luka. They'd tried taking in a pair of rescue dogs first, but the animals tore up Levi's favorite leather armchair and that was the end of that. The agent decided that they needed to get their pets young so that they could train them properly from the beginning. He did not, however, go for the traditional practice of having his Doberman's ears and tail cropped.

"I think that's a bullshit practice," he explained to Eren when the singer asked if they were going to do it. "There's nothing wrong with her ears or tail the way they are. It's totally un-necessary."

Eren looked visibly relieved. "Oh, thank God. I'm so glad you said that. I've been debating it with myself and feeling guilty for even considering it, but I expected you to be for having it done."

Levi tilted his head curiously. "What made you think I'd be okay with having my dog mutilated for something completely cosmetic?"

Eren winced. "Well, you're so into regulation. I mean, you come at me with the scissors anytime my hair grows long enough to touch my collar."

Levi raised a brow. "I thought you liked me cutting your hair."

"I do!" Eren hastily spoke to pacify him. "I love getting haircuts from you. I'm just saying I thought you'd be all for doing what most people do with Lena's breed."

Levi smirked, and he reached up to cup the back of Eren's head, drawing his forehead down to his own. "Sometimes I can surprise people. My morals aren't so cut and dry, Eren."

The taller man smiled bashfully, and then he glanced down at the subject of their conversation. Lena was sitting on the kitchen tiles at Levi's feet. Her head was tilted inquisitively, her pink tongue lolling out. Her right ear had flipped and was laying across her head. Eren chuckled, and he pulled away from his husband to bend over and correct the issue.

"There you go, girl." He patted the puppy's head, and upon seeing the attention his "sister" was getting, Luka came stumbling over with a whine for attention. Eren picked the little shepherd up and cuddled him. Luka was clearly his dog, while Lena favored Levi. She leaned against her favorite human's ankle while Eren snuggled the other puppy.

"Puh, he just put his tongue in my mouth," protested Eren when his dog gave him sloppy kisses on the mouth.

"You're the one making 'kissy faces' at him," informed Levi dryly. He squatted down to stroke Lena's back. "If you don't want dog tongue in your mouth, don't encourage him like that."

"Oh, don't listen to him," advised Isabel, having walked into the kitchen from the living room. "Puppy kisses are the best!"

"Yeah, but not French ones," countered Eren. He was grinning at the squirming, fluffy animal in his arms, though. "He's just so cute! Aww, I forgive you, boy."

Levi sighed, straightening up. "That mutt is going to be spoiled rotten before he hits his first birthday."

"Not with you as one of his daddies," mused Isabel. "I keep telling you they're too young for leash training yet, Levi. You might as well be trying to teach a toddler to drive!"

"There's no such thing as being too young for training," insisted Levi. "I want these pups to be disciplined before they're one year old. I'm not putting up with another furniture fiasco like what happened with those bull dogs we tried to adopt."

"Yeah, that was a disaster," agreed Eren with a sigh. He shrugged, and he put the puppy down next to Lena. "I guess if anyone can train dogs this young, it's you."

Levi took it as the compliment it was intended to be. "If I could train _you_ , I can train them."

* * *

Later that evening, Eren tossed and turned in their bed. He could hear both puppies whining in the bathroom connecting to the master bedroom. Levi insisted that they learn to sleep separately. He felt that early independence was a key factor in teaching good behavior, and he hadn't bent on that one bit. Eren chewed his lip as the puppies' crying went on. He felt like a monster for leaving them alone in that bathroom, even though the light was on and they had cushy pet beds to sleep in.

"Levi," whispered Eren into the dark, "I can't stand hearing them cry!"

"You're going to have to," mumbled the agent. He patted Eren's hip. "They'll get used to it eventually. When they're older, we won't have to shut them up in the bathroom at night."

"But...they sound so unhappy," complained Eren, practically whining himself. He winced when Luka yipped. That particular yip was especially for Eren. The dog might as well have been calling out for him.

Levi turned over completely to face him, and his sleepy gaze glittered in the moonlight slanting through the window. "Eren, those dogs need to learn who's boss. If you cater to their every whim, they'll walk all over you. We're the masters, not them."

"Yeah, but they're just babies," Eren pointed out. "They can't understand why they're locked in that cold room alone."

"It's not cold," Levi chastised. "I put the heat lamp on. They have each other for comfort. The pups aren't going to die from a few hours without human attention, brat."

"I know that," said Eren, though he knew his expression told a different tale. "But you wouldn't just leave a baby crying like that, would you? I mean, love is just as important as discipline, if we want these pups to grow up well-adjusted."

Levi stared at the singer, his lips parted as though he was about to speak. Eren could see him wavering, and he bit his lip and gazed back at the smaller man pleadingly. Finally, Levi blew a sigh and rolled onto his back.

"Fine. Bring them in here. Don't let this become a habit though, Eren. When they're old enough to be more independent, our bed is going to be off limits to them."

Eren smiled, grateful that he was able to induce a change of heart in his spouse. "You bet." He got up to go and fetch the puppies from the bathroom, and he glanced back at Levi as he reached for the doorknob. "You know, we probably wouldn't have been able to sleep through all the noise they're making, anyway."

"Keep telling yourself that," grumbled Levi. "You'd better hope this isn't a big mistake, kiddo."

Eren didn't argue that point. Maybe he _was_ spoiling them by insisting the puppies sleep with the two of them, but he'd never seen a properly nurtured dog grow up to be a bad pet. He opened the door and he smiled down at the puppies when they immediately went for his feet and started to lick them.

"Hey, that tickles," chuckled Eren. He bent over to scoop the pair of them up, one in each arm. "Okay guys, try not to squirm around too much. Papa Levi isn't too patient tonight, and he's being nice by letting you sleep with us."

Levi grunted in response to Eren's warning, but he said nothing. Lena immediately crawled over to him once Eren set her down on the bed, and the agent sputtered a little as the Doberman pup showered his face with sloppy kisses.

"All right, settle down," Levi murmured, patting her gently. "You got your way. Don't push your luck."

Eren stretched out beside him, grinning toothily at the spectacle of Levi trying so hard to stay gruff with the adorable puppy. Luka soon joined his female companion in ravishing Levi with affection, and Eren bit back a chuckle when he saw Levi's mouth curve into the tiniest little smile.

"Admit it; you've got a soft spot for them too."

"I'd rather have cats," insisted Levi.

Eren cuddled up to him, sandwiching the two puppies between his body and his husband's. He yawned contentedly, and he stroked Levi's bare shoulder as his eyes drifted shut. A family. They were a family, now. The joy and satisfaction he felt was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. No matter how terrible their previous lives had been, this peaceful existence made up for all of that fear, pain and heartache.

"I love you, Captain," sighed Eren sleepily.

Levi's soft response brought another smile to Eren's lips. "Love you too, shitty brat."

* * *

The End


End file.
